


Torched

by Phoebe_Snow



Series: Perfection Never Looked So Good [39]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Apartment, Canon-Typical Violence, Danger, Drama, Emotional Sex, Ex-Girlfriend, F/M, Fire, First Kiss, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Smut, Friendship/Love, Happy Ending, Imagine your OTP, Landlord - Freeform, Rivalry, Romance, Sleepy Cuddles, Slice of Life, True Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-27
Updated: 2018-03-10
Packaged: 2018-09-27 07:02:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 26
Words: 32,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9982064
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Phoebe_Snow/pseuds/Phoebe_Snow
Summary: When a terrible fire destroys Natasha's apartment, she's left with nowhere to go. That is, until Steve, her handsome landlord, lets her move in with him until she can get her feet back up under her.





	1. On Fire

**Author's Note:**

> I've decided that I can post faster updates when I write chapters that are 1200 words or less. This will help my creativity, attract more readers and likely give me an increase in feedback as I've gotten for _Don't Touch A Russian's Cookies._
> 
> Now, I'm not expecting immaculate validation, oodles of paragraphs, or fantastically detailed comments. If you only feel comfortable saying "I loved it!" or any various emoticon, I'd be happy. Kudo is great, but comments are more personal because they make me feel like my readers truly care about the story I've written. 
> 
> Please, don't believe that I'm trying to choke reviews or comments from any of you. Think of this as encouragement to dump your thoughts and ideas on me. I know some people may be apprehensive because they don't have the best English skills or they're too shy to leave comments. I welcome them all, though, because your input helps me become a better writer.❤️

* * *

   
  
Natasha was having a lovely dream. In it, herself and a handsome man were taking a romantic walk along a beach, with their hands entwined. Strangely, the man's face was blurred, so it was impossible to know who he was. Although, it was clear that he had strong feelings for her.

He turned to her and cradled her face in his hands. From the gentleness of his touch and the _way_ he touched her, Natasha was certain that he was going to kiss her. She trembled in excitement and closed her eyes, moving forward the tiniest bit on her tip toes, but the kiss never came. Instead, a pair of hands grasped her shoulders and shook her.

"Wake up!" He yelled into her ear.

 _What a curious thing to say,_ she found herself thinking.

Then, Natasha opened her mouth to speak, but the smell of smoke filled her nostrils and her mouth all at once. She coughed a few times, wondering why there would be smoke at a beach.

Odd. She was sure that she hadn't seen anyone barbecuing and even if they were, the smell shouldn't be so strong, as if it were right in front of her. Suddenly, a hand clamped around her wrist and shook her urgently.

Slowly, as if it were all fading away, the beach began to disappear. So did the sand underneath Natasha's feet and the beautiful beach houses. The only thing that remained was him. The stranger who she'd been walking with. He came closer to her and his face began to clear up.

Just when she was about to see who the mystery man was, another hard shake of her shoulders startled Natasha and she was awake, pulled from her dream by a man. It was Steve, her handsome landlord who she'd been crushing on for the few months she'd been living here. He was the one who'd been yelling at her to wake up and thank goodness for that.

The smoke made Natasha cough violently again and again and she could see flames - flames! - dancing on walls of her bedroom. The apartment was on fire! She covered her mouth and coughed into her hands. 

Steve tugged her out of bed and she was ready to follow him out of the bedroom, but she stopped. If this fire was going to claim her apartment, she wouldn't let it have everything. Natasha pulled away from Steve's grip and rushed into her closet. Thankfully, the flames hadn't touched the tiny room and her eyes spotted a couple of things.

"What are you doing?! Natasha, we need to go, **now**!" Steve was right behind her, coughing into his sleeve and looking down at her in alarm as if he thought she were mental.

Maybe she was, but there was no way in hell that she'd leave these things to burn. Quickly, she slung the strap of her duffel bag over her shoulder, snatched up her teddy bear and the new pillow she'd just bought yesterday.

Steve ran out of patience and he shouted, "Come on!" and grabbed her hand, pulling her towards the door again. Steve and Natasha ran through her apartment as fast as they could, dodging the flames until they were out of the building. They didn't stop until they were several yards from the complex.

Sirens sounded from a distance and soon, a fire truck came into view. Natasha's face was covered with soot, but she didn't notice as she dropped to the ground, staring at the burning building. It was like something out of a nightmare.

The flames engulfed the entire building, roaring like a growl from a lion's mouth. It was as fantastic as it was frightening to watch, but that's all Natasha could do. Just watch.

She could have died in her sleep, burning to death, if Steve hadn't come to save her. Natasha lowered her head for a moment and turned to look at the man. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and sighed, gazing at her. "Are you alright?"

Natasha tried to speak, but her voice wouldn't work. She just started crying and covered her face with her hands.

"Hey, shh. It's okay." Steve sat down next to Natasha and put his arm around her to comfort her. "You're alive. That's what's important."

He was right, of course, but was still heartbroken as she looked on as the building burned. It didn't take a genius to see from the rate the fire was spreading, that by the time the firemen got inside, hardly anything would be salvageable.

Natasha rented that apartment four months ago. It was the first place she'd moved into since she first came to America only six months prior. To her, moving into the apartment was a symbol that she was ready to live on her own as an independent adult. Now, she would have to start all over again.

But how could she do that after what she just lost?

 


	2. Offer From A Gentleman

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Natasha is distraught about how she will live now that her apartment is destroyed, but Steve decides to help and offers to be her roommate._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a wee bit longer because I wanted to give us some nice Romanogers moments. Remember though, this is going to be a slow burn fic, so they aren't just going to become a couple at the end of six chapters. It's going to take some time, but it'll happen eventually. I'll make sure to add plenty of fluffy and funny Romanogers moments along the way. :D

* * *

 

Natasha stared at the sight in front of her. The apartment was no longer burning, but from the look of it, it was obvious that there wouldn't be anything much to salvage. It had been on fire for forty-three minutes before the firemen showed up and that was enough time to cause irreparable damage to the building.

A paramedic was treating her arm - she'd gotten a minor burn while running from her apartment. She sighed sadly and forced herself to turn away and stop looking at the wrecked building. Everything she'd ever bought for herself and everything she ever owned was now destroyed.

This was bad, terribly bad, but things could have been worse. It did hurt that she hadn't been able to grab a few more possessions, but something told her if she had tried to, Steve would have picked her up and carried her out of the building.

 _You're a heroic kind of guy, Steve Rogers,_ Natasha thought to herself.

Her handsome landlord was currently talking to the firemen and she took this opportunity to observe him closely. It was clear to her that he had a strong sense of confidence and could assume a leadership role like he was born to it. Yet, he wasn't a creep or a man who took advantage of others if they were weaker than him.

Steve Rogers was the _only_ alpha male Natasha had met who was sexy and respectful while being the most humble guy she ever knew. Add that to the fact that he saved her life earlier and even held her when she cried - if the situation hadn't been a dire one, she would have blushed from the feel of his strong arms wrapped around her body - she was enormously indebted to him.

As she mused, Steve walked over to her and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I just finished talking to them about how the fire started. They think someone broke into one of the apartments on the floor above you, tried to start a fire and it got out of control. Probably a homeless person who was trying to find shelter for the night."

Natasha rubbed her arms, suddenly worried that someone may have died in the apartment. "Did they find a body?"

"No. He or she probably escaped." Steve's eyes then noticed her arm and he frowned, reaching out to touch her. "I didn't know you were burned."

The redhead was surprised by his familiarity, but she wasn't offended by it. Strangely, his hand felt very cool against her warm skin and she relished the sensation as little tingles ran down her spine.

Confused by her body's reaction, Natasha sent him a tentative smile. "Yeah. It stung at first, but the paramedic put some ointment on it and it feels a lot better now."

Steve sighed in relief and let her hand go - much to her disappointment. "Good. I'd hate it if you'd gotten hurt." He licked his lips and thought for a moment. "I know this is a dumb question to ask, especially after what just happened, but are you alright?"

"No, I'm not. I probably won't be alright for a while...but I have to count my blessings. I would have died if it weren't for you." She looked up at him with a grateful smile.

He glanced down - at her lips? - for a moment and shook his head. "I did what anybody else would have done under the circumstances."

"Still, you ran up two flights of stairs and into the middle of a burning building for me. That means a lot, so please, let me thank you."

A light blush appeared on Steve's cheeks and he nodded. "Okay. I can do that."

She breathed deeply and rubbed her forehead. "I have no idea what I'm going to do now, though."

"You don't have any family or friends you can stay with?"

"No. I don't have any living relatives and I just came to the area five months ago, which was a few weeks before I moved into that apartment. All of my friends are still new, so I wouldn't feel comfortable asking to stay with any of them." Natasha chuckled ruefully. "I suppose I could always live in my car. Live on the wild side of life."

There was a bad taste in Steve's mouth when she said that. Perhaps she was using humour as a shield to cover her fears of being homeless, but he couldn't feel anything but dismay at the thought of this beautiful young woman out on the streets or in a shelter.

He remembered how his mother had let battered or homeless women stay with them in their tiny apartment time and time again, helping them get back on their feet. Sarah Rogers was a kind woman and she had a heart for people, abused women in particular, and she did her best to help them whenever she could.

It was like he could hear his mother's voice in his ear, telling him to help Natasha _now_. She may not be a battered woman or an abused one, but she _was_ in a big dilemma. She'd lost nearly everything she owned and her apartment. All she had was a duffel bag, a teddy bear, a pillow and a car to her name.

And he was just in the right time and place to do something about it.

"You can stay with me."

Natasha's smile was replaced with a look of confusion. "What?"

"I'd like you to move in with me."

"Why?" She couldn't keep the slightly suspicious inflection out of her voice.

"I just want to help you, if you'll let me. My mom always taught me never to turn away a person in need if I can help them and I'm not going to start now." His words sounded very sincere and Natasha felt her heart beat a little faster at his kind offer.

 _Why not?_ She thought. _Being independent is all well and good, but there's nothing wrong with accepting help. He's handsome, he's nice and he wants to help you with no strings attached. That sounds like a good idea, doesn't it?_

It definitely did.

Natasha smiled again and nodded. "Okay. I've never had a roommate before, but I think I can work with that. Oh. I should warn you. I can be quite a handful; I'm sassy at times and I eat more than you'd think I do."

The look on Steve's face made her heart slam against her chest. "Don't worry. I was in the Army for twelve years. I'm sure I can handle anything you dish out."

Interesting that he should mention being in the military. Natasha sucked in her bottom lip and inwardly hoped that she'd get to know more about the handsome man in front of her. "Well, if you say so." Natasha stood and grabbed her pillow and teddy bear. "Shall we go? It's a little chilly out here."

"Of course. Here, I'll give you a hand." Steve bent down and picked up Natasha's duffel bag and grunted. "What in the world did you put in this thing?"

"Mm, a lot of stuff. What's wrong? Is it too heavy for you?" She raised an eyebrow, the sassiness she warned him about making an appearance.

He rolled his eyes and put the strap over his shoulder. "No. I'm just surprised that you were able to carry this bag out of the apartment."

It was pleasant, seeing Steve's muscles bulge as he handled her duffel bag. He was scrumptious. "Well, there's a lot you don't know about me, roomie," came her silky reply.

"Ditto. Come on." He held out his arm to her, she took it and they were off.

Natasha stole a glance at Steve as they walked to the building where his apartment was and took in his profile, the two-day stubble on his face, the curve of his pink lips, the gentleness in his baby blue eyes. _I think I'm going to enjoy being your roommate, Steve._

  


	3. The Thick of It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _As Natasha settles into Steve's apartment, they begin to learn about each other._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is longer because I wanted to establish some cute Romanogers moments. ;)

* * *

 

"Here it is. Home, sweet home." Steve closed the door behind them. They came through the back way, which was in the kitchen. He pointed to the door on their immediate right. "That's the laundry room, so if you want to wash your clothes, feel free."

Natasha walked beside him and they went in the living room and she silently observed a comfortable blue couch, a big recliner in the corner with a large lamp beside it, a big screen tv and a rug. The room looked lived-in, but comfortable. There were a few knick knacks around and a stack of National Geographic on the coffee table.

Something about the apartment made her think that he had been out of the country. "Do you like to travel?"

"Hm?"

"I noticed the magazines on your table."

Steve's furrowed brow straightened out and he chuckled. "Oh, yeah. I've been to a handful of  places. Berlin, Sydney, Paris, Vienna, Japan. I can't think of the others at the moment. Come on. I'll show you the room you'll be staying in while you're here."

Natasha followed him down the hall with her pillow and her teddy bear in her arms. Since she was behind him, she took the opportunity to check out his backside and _holy cow_ , did he have an ample behind. 

She was such a filthy wanton.

There was a door on the right and Steve told her, "This is the hall closet, so you can get your towels and washcloths from there. The bathroom is the door at the end of the hall." He pointed to the door a few feet away from where they stood.

"Alright," Natasha said distractedly. She felt like being a little nosy, which couldn't be helped. After all, if she was going to be his roommate, she might as well learn about him. She was aware of his service in the military, which prompted her to ask, "Were you stationed in all of those countries in the Army?"

"No. My dad was in the Air Force when I was a kid, so we moved around a lot, but when I got older, I decided that I wanted to do the same thing. You know, traveling was always a source of excitement for me and serving my country is something I'd always wanted to do, so I achieved two of my goals at the same time."

"Lucky you. I've only lived in one other place besides New York and that was Russia."

Steve stopped walking and looked down at her in surprise. "You're Russian?"

"Yeah. I don't sound like it because I went to a special school where they taught us how to mask our accent." The door they stood in front of was closed and Steve opened it. "This is your room, Natasha." He motioned for her to go inside and she did. The room was obviously not used much, from how bare it was. The only pieces of furniture were a bed, a desk and chair and a walk-in wardrobe.

All of those old books Natasha had read about girls going off to college and feeling a million miles from home came into her mind. She shivered and put her pillow on the bed.

Steve noticed her movements and frowned. It wouldn't do for her to freeze. "Are you cold?"

"Just a little chilly, but it's not that bad."

"I'm gonna turn the air on. I can't have my guest freezing, now, can I?"

"Not if you want to be seen as a respectable gentleman." She smiled a little.

"Point made." He put the duffel bag down and left the room.

While he was gone, Natasha unzipped the bag and pulled out a pair of panties, an oversized t shirt and a pair of boxer shorts. She was in desperate need of a shower after the ordeal she'd been through.

Moments later, Steve came back and placed a towel and wash cloth on the bed. "Here you go. If you want to take a shower, go ahead. The air is on now and your room should warm up in the next ten minutes. It's never taken a long time to heat this place."

"Mm, good. I like sleeping in a room that's warm and toasty."

"Only not _too_ toasty. I'd prefer not to have to rescue you from another fire." There was a playful twinkle in Steve's eye.

"That was a horrible joke!" Natasha giggled and covered her mouth.

"I guess it's because I'm tired. Well, I'll leave you to get some sleep. Goodnight, Natasha."

"Goodnight, Steve, and thank you." Perhaps it was silly of her, but she hated to see him go.

"You're welcome." He started to leave, but stopped and turned around. "You said you're from Russia?"

"And you want to know something in my native tongue?"

"If you don't mind."

"Oh, not at all. Let me think...ah." She thought for a moment and then, the perfect words came to her mind. <"Vy ochen' krasivyy molodoy chelovek, Stiv Rodzhers."> _You are a very handsome man, Steve Rogers._

Having no clue what she said, Steve smiled innocently, but to Natasha's eyes, it was an intense, electrically charged smile. "What did you say?"

"Have very pleasant dreams, Steve Rogers." Okay, so she lied, but how awkward would it have been if she told her _incredibly_ hot landlord - while she was staying in his house - that she thought he was attractive?

"Same to you, Natasha Romanoff." He put his hands in his pockets and nodder to her before going into his own bedroom and closing the door.

Once he was gone, she allowed herself to breathe in and out deeply. If this was what it'd be like having Steve for a roommate, she wasn't sure how long she could handle him. The man was oozing sexuality. There was only one thing that could help her: a cold shower.

 

* * *

  

After the shower, Natasha donned her sleep clothes and nestled underneath the comforter on the bed in Steve's guest room. Once her head hit the pillow, it didn't take too long for her to fall asleep.

That's when the flames came again. Burning curls of heat danced before her eyes once more and she couldn't escape this time. Steve wasn't there to save her.

The smoke made its way through Natasha's lungs and she coughed and gagged, trying to get away from it, but to no avail. Tears slid down her cheeks and she reached out to the open door in front of her. It was just a few feet away, but for some reason, she couldn't touch it. It was like she was paralyzed.

Now, Natasha's hair was aflame and her eyes burned so badly that they caught fire. The skin on her arms and legs began to bubble and then, melt from her bones. The heat was unbearable and she finally parted her lips to scream...

"AHHHHHHH!!!!!" The redhead screamed herself awake and jumped up into a sitting position, frightened and confused by what had just happened.

Seconds later, Steve burst through the door with a worried expression on his handsome face. "Natasha! What is it?! What's wrong?!"

Natasha trembled and her hands shook as she tried to calm herself. "I-I had...a dream. The fire. It wa-I was caught in the fire again...I couldn't get out and it was so **hot**. I felt myself start to die. It was...awful!" She buried her face in her hands and cried, terribly shaken by her nightmare.

Steve sat on the bed next to her and put a tentative hand on her shoulder, hoping that he could find the right words to soothe her, but she threw herself into his arms and held him tightly like her life depended on it.

There was no movement from Steve at first. He wanted to see if Natasha would pull away from him immediately when she realized what she'd just done - even though he was her landlord and a friend of sorts, they were still not close enough for acts of intimacy. Still, she didn't move and Steve was certain that the woman had no plans to either.

He tried to pull back, but she just clung tighter to him and murmured, "Don't. Please, stay with me, Steve. Just for tonight. I don't want to be alone..."

With a plea like that, Steve could hardly ignore it. So he stroked her back and then, leaned back with her body carefully encompassed in his arms.

Natasha whimpered and nuzzled her face in Steve's chest as he pulled the blanket over them and let his head fall back onto the pillow next to her.

 _This is nice,_ he thought to himself as his roommate curled up next to him, pressing herself to his side. Steve sensed that Natasha really needed this.

The minutes rolled by and he just enjoyed the feel of Natasha's warm body against his. She had no idea, but he liked her. He just didn't know how to express it without coming off as inappropriate - he was her landlord after all. However, now that they were living in the same apartment, perhaps things could progress between them.

Starting tonight with his presence keeping her nightmares away.

Steve felt his eyes grow heavy, but before he fell under sleep's beckoning call, Natasha squeezed his hand gently. Whether she was still awake or the action was a reflex, he was glad that she did. It gave him hope.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cuddles are a cliche thing because I always add them to my stories, but I think it made sense in this chapter. After a horrible nightmare like that, I'd need someone to sleep next to me, too.❤️


	4. Desire's Flame

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Natasha's attraction to Steve gets more complicated._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I am a dirty little wanton, but there is a brief smut in this chapter. Therefor, this chapter is longer, too. There is also a Police reference in this story because I adore that band~❤️

* * *

 

 

Natasha yawned and blinked slowly, the sun's rays shone through the curtains in her face. She looked down at the man lying next to her. Steve was still asleep. The redhead smiled, resuming her original position, except this time, she wrapped Steve's arms around her waist and nestled into his embrace.

She felt him moan and shift in his sleep. There was also something hard that began to press into her backside and she grinned wickedly. Even in sleep, she still made an impression on him. Natasha sighed happily and closed her eyes, enjoying her comfortable position on the bed.

A few moments later, she felt a slight pressure on her waist as Steve's hands squeezed her gently. Then his fingers moved up to her stomach and stopped at her breasts, cupping the mounds sensually.

"I thought you were asleep."

"I was," came Steve's sleepy rumble, "until you wiggled that behind against me." He slipped a finger under her shirt and lightly pinched her nipple. "I believe that I owe you some payback, Natasha." She could feel his smirk on her skin.

"Mm, what did you have in mind?"

"Let's just say that neither of us will be wearing clothes for what I have planned."

Natasha gyrated her hips and kept her eyes on his as she tugged off her t shirt and tossed it away, ivory breasts free and lightly chilled by the cool air. "Do your worst~" she purred.

Never let it be said that Steve Rogers didn't respond to challenges. He grinned right back and pounced on her, "I hope you can handle it," he replied with a bit of sass, then he kissed her hard and passionately. 

They both knew that she was more than capable of handling anything he did to her. This was just part of the game they were playing.

Steve's hand slid down her shorts and dipped past her underwear, brushing her feminine curls. Natasha gasped in surprise at his boldness and she moaned when he circled her entrance with his two fingers. "Please..."

"Please, what? I don't know what you want unless you tell me." He dipped his forefinger into her wet core and she whimpered.

"Please, Steve," she cried out. "Please, take me."

"Yes, ma'am," he responded and the bottom half of her clothes were wrenched away. It didn't take him long to disrobe before he was back on top of her again and sinking into her depths. He felt so hard and so amazing.

Natasha took the initiative and once he was all the way inside, she thrusted her hips to his own, moving their bodies together in an erotic dance.

Steve kissed her collarbone and led a wet trail down to her breasts. He was slow, taking his time about it and Natasha thought she would go crazy is he didn't put his mouth on her soon. Finally, he reached his target and suckled her taut nipples, wanting as much of her as he could.

"Steve!" She screamed and tugged his hair as he made love to her breasts.

His hands gripped her by the waist and he slammed his shaft into her again and again in a ritual as old as time. The sensation of his cock twitching and probing into her core made Natasha's eyes roll in the back of her head. Still, she managed to gyrate her hips and match him thrust for thrust, wanting to bring him as much pleasure as he gave her.

"Natasha!"

Strangely, the way his voice sounded wasn't consistent with passion and pleasure. It was more of an alert and frightened or concerned tone.

Shakes. Someone was shaking her awake, but that was impossible. She and Steve were making love, weren't they? The answer to that question became evident as the sensations of their movements ebbed away and Natasha felt herself being pulled by urgent hands.

With a gasp, she jerked and suddenly, she was sitting up in a bed that wasn't her own, but still familiar. "Natasha?" Said the urgent voice and this time, she knew who it was.

Steve. _Oh._

Looking down, she saw that her clothes were still on and she actually pouted as her memories came back to her.

The fire. Steve getting her out of the apartment. Deciding to be his roommate for a while.

 _Damn._ The passionate lovemaking she'd been dreaming about hadjust been  a dream. She felt unbelievably bitter and angry at her brain or her subconscious for giving her such an erotic dream which had no similarities to her current real life situation.

"Are you alright?" Steve looked her over and touched her forehead to feel her temperature.

"Uh, y-yeah. I'm okay. I was just in the middle of a heavy dream. That's all..."

"Well, you must have hit your head on the headboard. You're bleeding a little bit."

"I am?" She touched her head and hissed in pain when she felt a fresh scratch on her skin.

Steve got out of bed. "Don't worry. I have a first aid kit. I'll get it and clean that up." He left the room for a moment and came back with the little kit in his hand. First, he turned on the lights, which hurt Natasha's eyes briefly until she adjusted to it, then he sat down next to her.

Silently, he applied the rubbing alcohol and put a band aid on her forehead. When he finished, he closed the kit up smiled at her. "Good as new."

"Thank you," she said quietly, frustrated by the fact that she'd been having the hottest dream of her life, only for it to be just what it was. A dream.

He smiled at her and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Feel better?" He asked.

Natasha felt butterflies in her stomach. Why was he so perfect? How was she going to handle being his roommate when he was this kind to her? Maybe she'd bitten off more than she can chew...

"Yes, thank you. You didn't have to do that, though."

"Nonsense. I did. It'd be bad manners to let you bleed all over my sheets." At this, he winked and she giggled in surprise by his silly joke. "In all seriousness, I do manage these apartments, but ninety percent of the job is looking out for the people who live in them and you're one of them."

Was this man even real? "I respect that."

"Thank you." Steve glanced at the alarm clock on the nightstand. "Well, it's only six twenty-eight. Did you want to try to sleep for a few more hours?"

"Oh, yes. I normally wake up at seven-thirty to get ready for work, but I'm off today, so I am _definitely_ sleeping in. I'll probably be up around nine."

"Alright. I'll set the alarm to wake you up, then."

"Okay," Natasha said sleepily and after a few seconds she felt the bed dip as Steve got out of the bed. The lights overhead turned off and he made his way to the door. She frowned and looked up at him, confused. "Where are you going?"

"Back to my room. I don't want my presence to disturb you."

What the hell? Was he kidding? With Steve sleeping beside her, she'd had the best sleep she'd ever had in her life. There was no way she letting him leave her alone. "Wait, no. Could you just stay with me until I wake up? I'd fall asleep faster that way and...the bed would be too big without you."

The moonlight shone through the curtains and Steve's head was cocked to the side in what seemed like contemplation. He was probably thinking the same thing that Natasha was. They hardly knew each other and her request was bordering on the inappropriate.

_Please say yes._

Natasha was so hopeful that she crossed her fingers, praying silently. It didn't take too long for him to respond, though.

"I know people tend to have trouble when they're sleeping somewhere else that's not their own bed. I suppose that's what you feel, too?"

"Yes." She decided not to mention how she'd enjoying the sensation of Steve's hard muscles against her soft skin. The beauty of wearing no bra with a man beside you in bed was that, at some point, your bodies were going to touch.

Natasha's mind kept replaying that moment in her dream when Steve's mouth did wicked things to her breasts with that delicious mouth of his. What she wouldn't give to have him do that for real. True, her mind had been overactive in that dream, but there was a possibility that he could be just as passionate in person. She snapped out of her reverie when Steve got in the bed with her again.

"Alright, just this once." He sounded sleepy and likely knew that it'd be easier to just give in to her than argue against it.

"Thank you, Steve," Natasha whispered as she laid her head on his chest and let her hand rest slightly above his stomach.

This was one of the few times she felt completely and totally safe. Perhaps it was more than a feeling, but Natasha believed that living with Steve, for however long it lasted, would certainly change her life for the good.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finally set a number of chapters that I want to write in this fic, but they are only an estimate. The number count may increase or decrease depending on how long or short each chapter is.


	5. Three's A Crowd and More's The Pity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Natasha and Steve have breakfast, but, much to Steve's chagrin, they are interrupted by Bucky._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At first, I was really loathing this chapter, but it turned out better than I expected it to! As for _Never Touch A Russian's Cookies_ , don't worry. I haven't forgotten about it. I was just kind of stuck about how to write the next chapter, but I know what to write now! It should be updated within the next two days!

* * *

   
Natasha moaned sleepily and rolled over in bed, her hands clutching the pillow beside her. Slowly, she began to wake up and when her eyes opened, she saw that she was sleeping alone.

She rubbed her eyes and looked at the clock on the nightstand. It was nine twenty-six. She'd woken up before the alarm. Yawning, she turned the alarm switch off and stood.

Wondering where Steve was, Natasha left her room, pausing at his bedroom door. It was open, but it looked like he wasn't inside. Then the smell of hot coffee penetrated her nose and she widened her eyes. He was in the kitchen.

Natasha moved down the hall and turned into the brightly lit kitchen where Steve was flipping bacon on a skillet. For some reason, heat flooded her cheeks as she watched him. Probably because he was wearing a pair of shorts that were stretched a bit tightly around his backside.

"Good morning," she said, to get her mind off the titillating prospect of staring at his ass.

Steve turned and smiled at her, making her stomach do flip flops. "Hey! Good morning! Woke up a little early, huh?"

"Yeah. I guess my body decided I've had enough sleep for today." She motioned to the skillet. "Can I help?"

"No, no. I'm fine. You just get a cup of coffee, sit down and relax. I pulled a mug out for you and there's creamer in the fridge, so help yourself."

Natasha saw a red mug on the counter and smiled. Red was her favourite color. She picked up the coffeepot and filled the mug to the halfway point. Then, after careful inspection of his selection of creamers, she chose French vanilla.

After she stirred it in, she sipped her coffee and hummed in pleasure. "What's for breakfast? Hopefully, more than bacon because I am _starving_."

"Oh, don't worry. This is a fully loaded breakfast. I already made hash browns, scrambled eggs, sausage, toast and waffles. All I have to do is finish the bacon and we can eat."

On cue, Natasha's stomach grumbled and she laughed. "That sounds amazing. I can't remember the last time I had a breakfast like that. Usually, I just eat a bowl of fruit."

Steve turned and looked at her in surprise. "That's all you eat for breakfast?"

She grinned and nodded. "Yeah. I'm a ballerina, so I have to stay fit and watch the calories, you know."

"Ah." Steve felt pleased that she chose to share that little fact about herself. "That makes sense. I guess I'd better start making some healthier food options for breakfast."

"You don't have to. I have enough money to buy my own food."

"Oh, I wasn't talking about that. I just meant that I should make less meaty meals."

"You're very sweet, but there's no need. I may be a ballerina, but I haven't sworn off _all_ meat and I'm not a vegan or anything. I just have to keep myself from overindulging." Natasha took a long sip of her coffee.

"Makes sense. I've been meaning to do more portion control when it comes to meat. Maybe having you as a roommate will encourage me to eat better." He sent her a kind smile.

"Well, if you want, I can make lunch for us and show you one of my favourite meals. It's a little different, but I think you'd really like it."

"Sounds good to me." Steve moved the skillet away from the stovetop and turned the switch off. "Alright. Breakfast is on!" He placed three pieces of bacon on two plates and pulled a casserole dish out of the oven, scooping the hash browns, eggs and sausage onto both of their plates.

"That looks so good," Natasha said, licking her lips at the sight.

Steve chuckled and set a plate in front of her. "Well, thank you." He took another casserole dish out of the oven and put it on top of a mitt on the kitchen table. "Now we can eat." He put two smaller plates down and then, seated himself across from her.

"Mm, it all looks so amazing. Thank you for cooking, Steve." Natasha dove in to her food, biting off half of her sausage and putting two forkfuls of eggs into her mouth. She moaned in delight and munched on her hash browns, eating every delicious bite with relish.

"You're welcome," he replied, watching her with fascination as she devoured the food in front of her. Since he'd cooked the food, it was pleasing to see Natasha enjoy her breakfast with gusto. 

The way she leaned back and smiled in happiness as she swallowed her food made him smile, too. Natasha's ivory throat was exposed to him and his eyes traveled the length of her pale skin, down to her full, unbound breasts hidden underneath her thin sleep shirt.

 _Shit._ She wasn't wearing a bra.

Best to think of something else besides that. The blond dug into his food as the cogs turned in his head. Since Natasha's apartment was burned down, she'd need more clothes. "Natasha? I'm curious. Have you lived in New York for very long?"

She chewed her food and counted back to the day she arrived at the airport. "Mm, no. I've been here for six months, lived in the apartment for four."

"So you're familiar with the area?"

"A bit, but I haven't been doing a lot of exploring." A shy look danced its way across her features as she sheepishly said, "I don't have much of a social life...and being a ballerina keeps me busy. _Oh._ I'm going to need more outfits because of the fire. I need to buy a lot of things, come to think of it." She looked at him for a moment and an idea suddenly came into her head. " **You've** lived here your whole life, though, right?"

"Yes, born and raised in Brooklyn, but I know my way around New York."

Perfect. "Good, because I was wondering if you'd li-"

Unfortunately, Natasha was interrupted by someone coming through the front door and their footsteps resounded through the apartment, coming towards the kitchen. She turned to see who the person was, feeling mildly annoyed that he or she had just barged in the apartment so suddenly.

A jovial and masculine voice spoke as the person neared. "Hey, Steve. Remember when I said I was going out with that hot brunette from Saks? You were right. That was a disaster. I don't know what it is with me and salesgirls, but we just don't mix."

Seconds later, a tall man with long brown hair and slight growth of a beard appeared. He was smiling, then frowned when he saw Natasha sitting at the kitchen table. There was a confused look in his eyes for a moment as he hadn't expected Steve to have company, then he chuckled. "You _dog_. Is this why you didn't call me back? Too busy hooking up?"

Natasha's eyes squinted and she stared at the stranger in front of her. Hooking up? Was she wrong to have accepted Steve's offer to be roommates? Could it be possible that he was a playboy?

She turned to look at Steve, her eyebrows raised and she crossed her arms. "Care to explain?"

Steve shook his head. "It's not what it sounds like. I don't go around having relationships with multiple women. This dumb ass is my best friend, Bucky. Bucky, this is Natasha and we did **not** hook up. She's my roommate."

"Your roommate?" Bucky's eyes widened and he looked down at Natasha with a shocked stare that slowly turned into a smile. Steve didn't like that look on his friend's face, not directed her, and he frowned in displeasure.

"My apologies. This punk and I go way back and I like to tease him about never dating or  having any fun. I'm sorry if I overstepped my bounds. After all, I don't even know you. Please forgive me." Bucky took Natasha's hand and kissed it which had Steve rolling his eyes.

Natasha blushed and she bit her lip, not sure what to think about the man now. He and Steve must have a very easygoing friendship and she supposed she was just taken aback by Bucky's boldness. He seemed like a nice guy, probably naturally flirtatious, but relatively harmless. "No worries. It's nice to meet you, Bucky."

"Likewise, Natasha, and I must say that you have a very beautiful name," came Bucky's smooth reply. 

Steve found himself holding back the urge to grab Bucky by the collar and tell him to stop looking at Natasha like that, but he couldn't speak for her. He had no claim on her; she wasn't his girlfriend. Still, he scowled at the sultry smile Bucky aimed at Natasha and sorely wished that she was.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man, this chapter has really got the makings of a potential love triangle, doesn't it? I'm kind of tempted to go for it, too...


	6. Green-Eyed Monsters and Slick Willies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Bucky and Natasha are pretty chummy and Steve doesn't like it._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a lot longer because of plot expansion and character development.

* * *

 

  
Steve was growing more agitated by the minute. So far, Bucky had asked Natasha a million questions and probably found out more about her life than Steve had in the four months that she'd been living in the apartment complex. This vexed him and he was getting tired of watching the two talk as if they were lifelong friends.

Bucky didn't even know her, but he had always been blessed with the ability to make quick and easy conversation with people. Add that to his charm, charisma, attractiveness and it was obvious why women fell all over him.

_Not this one._

Steve's Brooklyn accent soaked his words as he spoke. "Bucky, are ya gonna let her eat or what? She can't even get a forkful of eggs before you start bombardin' her with questions."

"Oh, you're right, Steve." Bucky looked at Natasha with a sheepish yet sexy grin. "Sorry bout that, doll. I just haven't enjoyed talking to a woman so much and I feel like I've known you my whole life."

Natasha felt her lips curve into a smile. Funny how she kept doing that around this guy. He really was a sweetheart. "It's okay. I don't mind at all. To be honest, I feel the same way."

"Great minds and all that jazz, right?" Bucky replied, that glimmer still in his eyes as he took her hand and kissed it.

That was it. Steve pushed his chair back and the metal legs screeched on the wood floor so hard that they probably made marks, but he didn't care. "Buck, can I talk to you for a minute?" His eyes were so hot, they could have bored twin holes in Bucky's head.

The brunet furrowed his brow, but slowly stood to his feet as well, chewing on a mouthful of waffle. "I'm trying to have a pleasant conversation here, but sure." He winked at Natasha and started walking down the hall with Steve in tow.

Once they were well out of earshot and in the living room, Steve took in a deep breath. The jealousy he felt was ludicrous and it didn't make sense at all. Steve was only friends with Natasha, yes, but for some reason, whenever Bucky sent her that seductive smile, it made the blond want to break something.

"Buck, would you mind laying off Natasha? Your flirting is inappropriate."

Bucky widened his eyes, a look of amusement on his face. Was something going on between the two of them? " _Inappropriate?_ Alright, _mom_. If it'll make you feel better, I'll do my best to behave like a gentleman. Can I go back, now?" Bucky started to move towards the kitchen again, but Steve grabbed his arm.

" **Seriously** , Bucky. Now is not the time for your playboy antics. Natasha's apartment burned down last night."

The smirk on Bucky's face disappeared in an instant and he parted his lips in surprise. "Oh, damn. That's terrible. She made it out okay?"

"Yeah. There's only a slight burn on her arm, but it's not bad."

That explained the bandage. It's funny that Bucky never addressed it as they were talking, but he'd been too busy looking at Natasha's lovely face to bring it up. Wait a minute. "What happened to her head, though?"

Steve began to shift uncomfortably and he scratched his arm. "Oh, she...she had a nightmare and hit the headboard when she was asleep, so I cleaned the cut and put a bandaid on it."

"A nightmare, huh? I guess it's good that you managed to hear her from the living room."

Steve rolled his eyes at the not so subtle remark. His friend was fishing for information. "She wasn't sleeping in my bed and neither of us slept on the couch."

"...where did you put her, then? _Not your room?!"_ He said in a stage whisper, feigning a shocked expression on his face.

"No, Bucky. I let her sleep in the room across from mine."

"Mm, how convenient. Did you leave the door open?"

" **Bucky!** What is wrong with you? No, I didn't leave the door open. I'm not some kind of creep!"

"It's just a question, Steve. I'm only curious how you were able to hear her scream when you're the heaviest sleeper that I know. Back in college, Wishbone would get on the bed every morning and howl in your ear, but that usually didn't work. It's just a little bizarre that a scream could wake you."

"Well, it was a really loud scream and I wasn't in my bed. I was in hers," Steve snapped. Then a brief jolt of panic rushed through him when he realized what he just said, what it sounded like and what he'd just walked into. _Shit._

"Ooo, fast work, punk. I never knew you had it in you. To think, after all these years of watching a master, you've finally taken your first baby step." Bucky placed his hand on his heart. "You're all grown up, kid."

"Shut up," came the blond's weak reply.

"No wonder you were behaving so strangely in the kitchen. Didn't want anyone messing with your woman, huh? Nice, although I'm hurt that you didn't tell me about her. That Natasha really is a charming girl..."

"Bucky, stop. Just _stop_ , okay? Natasha _isn't_ my girlfriend, we're not lovers or sleeping together or whatever other dirty things your deviant mind is coming up with. I asked her to move in with me until she gets back on her feet and can rent an apartment again, and she agreed. The only reason I slept in her bed was because she asked me to." Steve closed his eyes for a moment and ran a hand through his hair.

"She didn't want to be alone after the fire and I think that my saving her from being burned alive also had something to do with it." He said that without pride. Well, _almost_. "We're not close, but I know her well enough and she's not the type of person who sleeps with people on a whim. She's...different."

"Isn't that what you said about Sharon?" Bucky's voice was considerably muted and the look on his face was pensive.

Sharon Carter was the only woman Steve had ever been in a relationship with and they hadn't even been dating three years before they broke up. Steve was the one who initiated it. He really did like her, but they had no sparks, no flame. It's bad when you're in a relationship with someone and you feel passive, but that's what Steve had felt for Sharon. 

"Yes...but that was before I realized that she and I weren't compatible. The beginning was good, but it was never great. She never made me feel a million different things at once." _God_ , he felt like such a kid, talking like this. The right words were not registering in his brain and the ones that came out of his mouth were sloppy.

"But Natasha does?"

"...she's my friend, Buck and she just lost her home. It wouldn't be right for me to get involved with her now. She needs time to heal and she needs space, so I'm gonna give that to her."

So Steve **did** have feelings for Natasha, but the timing was off. True enough, but Steve was painfully commitment-shy after breaking up with Sharon and maybe he was trying to keep himself from getting hurt.

If that was the case, he was a major dumbass because Natasha _liked_ him. Bucky could see it in her eyes every time she looked at Steve when he was unaware of it. Not just that, but she asked him to stay with her while she slept?

Obviously, these two would need a firm push to get them together and Bucky decided that he was the right man for the job. Fate clearly wanted him to step in and he silently promised to do his part to make Steve and Natasha a couple.

"I can respect that," came his genuine response and he put a hand on Steve's shoulder. "But waiting too long can end up hurting you in the long run. Remember that, okay?"

Steve nodded slowly and smiled a little. "I will."

Natasha walked over to them with a bemused look on her face. "Hey, why are you both back here, whispering? Is something wrong?"

Steve and Bucky turned in surprise at the redhead and they chuckled awkwardly. Had she heard them talking about her? Bucky cleared his throat and said, "Oh, no. Steve was just telling me about your apartment. I'm really sorry."

Her eyes got a little glassy. "Thank you. It's the pits, but at least I managed to get a few things out before Steve came to my rescue." She looked up at Steve like he was her biggest hero and a red flush appeared on the blond's cheeks.

Bucky smirked at this and he nudged Steve playfully. "Yeah, I think that's great, too." A thought came to him and his smirk grew wider, a plan formulating in his mind. "You know what? We should go shopping!"

"Shopping?" Steve looked at his friend like he just suggested they go to a strip club.

"Yeah. Natasha, you need more clothes and toiletries, right?"

"That's right."

"Well, then! It's settled! We should all go shopping! Steve and I have really good eyes when it comes to women's fashion, thanks to our mothers, and we could help you pick out some nice selections!"

Natasha and Steve looked at each other, then at Bucky. "Well, I'm off work." She cocked her head at Bucky. "You don't have anything to do today, either?"

He shook his head and threw his hands up in the air. "Nope! My schedule is completely open! What about you, Steve?"

There was no point in trying to fight against it. "My assistant, Darcy is working at the front desk and she's forced me to take a few days off to get fresh air. So I don't have to stick around the complex today."

"Alright. Let's go shopping!" Natasha did a little hop and started off to back to the kitchen.

Steve asked, "Wait, where are you going?"

"To the kitchen." She paused briefly to look at him, her breasts swaying beneath the shirt she wore. "The dishes have to be done, silly."

Steve's eyes glanced down at her bosom and snapped back to her face. The last thing he needed was to have her washing dishes next to him, with her faint, yet intoxicating vanilla and smoky scent penetrating his nostrils. He would go out of his mind.

"No. Go ahead and take a shower. You remember where the towels and washcloths are?"

"Yes."

"Good. There's a new toothbrush behind the bathroom mirror, so you won't have to worry about using mine. Bucky and I will take care of the dishes while you get ready. Okay?"

Natasha's heart swelled with elation. He was so kind to her and was a true gentleman. "Thank you, Steve. You're the best." She leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek, brushing the corner of his lips lightly. "I won't be long."

Steve watched her go as she swayed her hips and hummed happily to herself. Good God, this woman was going to be the death of him.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wishbone - I hope some of you know what that name is from. I have great childhood memories from that show as a kid. - was Steve's dog in college. This is now an established part of my growing headcanons for my fics. So I will likely use it again in the future.


	7. Pushing Them Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _The shopping spree commences, but Bucky decides to cause a little mischief._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So AO3 is horrible when it comes to sending me email alerts. It takes nearly an entire day to receive them and whenever someone comments on my fics, I don't get every notification. It's hella annoying.

* * *

 

After her shower, Natasha went to her room and started changing. As she pulled a shirt and a pair of pants out of her duffel, she smiled to herself, happy that she remembered packing a few outfits.

A little over a week ago, she and a handful of other girls from the chorus were chosen by their trainer/coach to go to Chicago to see a special performance of Swan Lake. The trip had been so wonderful that Natasha was still on cloud nine after returning to New York. She'd only been back for a day when the fire happened.

It was a good thing that she remembered to grab the duffel bag when Steve came to her rescue or she wouldn't have had anything to wear now. It was also pretty lucky of her to have put her clutch in the bag, too. It would've been a pain in the ass to have her credit cards cancelled and get her IDs done again.

Natasha put the strap of her clutch around her shoulder and opened the bedroom door, stepping out. The look on Steve's face when she went into the kitchen made her stomach clench. All she wore was a long sleeved black shirt, a pair of dark red cargos and ankle boots, but he gazed at her like she was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. "You look great," he breathed.

"Thank you..." Natasha interlocked her fingers and darted her eyes to the ground, feeling shy and hoping that he wouldn't notice her hands shaking.

Bucky saw the exchange, though, and he held back a grin. Those two were such knuckleheads. It was too cute.

As they left the apartment, Bucky told Natasha about a good friend of his, a woman named Wanda, who owned a boutique in the city. "She sells designer clothes, but at bargain prices. Steve and I get the majority of our clothes there."

"Oh? I've heard of Wanda's, but I've never been inside."

"Well, you'll definitely like it." Steve led the way to his car and they all piled in. His face brightened up when Bucky got in the backseat of the truck and Natasha got in the front passenger seat.

Unbeknownst to Steve or Natasha, Bucky was sitting in the backseat so they could have a conversation with each other. He needed to formulate his plan to put them together and the best way to do that would be to observe them as they interact.

By the time they got to their destination, Bucky was one hundred percent certain that Steve and Natasha were meant to be and he was more resolute in his decision to push them together.

 

* * *

 

When they got to Wanda's Boutique, Wanda was nowhere to be found. Bucky asked one of the salesgirls where Wanda was. Unfortunately, she'd gotten a bad case of the flu and had to stay home for the next few days.

"Damn...I didn't know that. She must have been really sick to not call me about it." The brunet furrowed his brows were furrowed in concern.

Natasha saw the worry on Bucky's face and she wondered if there were tender feelings in his regard to Wanda. She patted his arm gently. "One of the girls in my chorus recently got the flu, too, but she recovered in a few days. Don't worry, Bucky. I'm sure your friend will be as right as rain before the week is over."

"And you can always go by her house and bring her some of your chicken noodle soup," Steve chimed in.

Bucky's eyes lit up a little and gave his companions a half smile. "Yeah. I guess you're right. My soup does work wonders..."

"It definitely does, and I should know. I've eaten it more than anyone else." Steve patted Bucky's back. "Now, come on. Let's help Natasha find some clothes."

They started doing some serious browsing and within the next hour and a half, they'd found seven outfits for Natasha.

"Aha! I found something else I think you'd like." Bucky walked over to Natasha and held out a black miniskirt with fringes at the bottom.

"Um...I don't know. It's not a style I usually wear." She cocked her head to the side and bit her lip, unsure of how the skirt would look on her. 

"That's why you have try it on to see what it looks like. I think you'd look amazing. All you need is a top that matches with the look." Bucky placed the skirt in Natasha's hand and smiled down at her. "It's okay to be bold with fashion as long as it makes you comfortable."

She looked at the skirt again. It **was** pretty cute. "Well, when you say it like that, how can I not try it on?"

"Good! And when you see yourself in the mirror, you'll thank me for it."

"Okay," Natasha smiled back at him and began looking through the racks, searching for a top that would go perfectly with the skirt in her hands. Bucky really had a vibrant, charming personality, so she couldn't help but be attracted to him. However, romantically speaking, her interests were solely on Steve.

The redhead looked around, trying to find Steve amidst the racks and rows of women's clothing. When she finally caught his eye, she waved him over.

"Found something good?" He asked her with a grin.

"Almost. Bucky gave me this skirt and now, I just need a top that goes with it. Have you found any black shirts that would match with this?"

"I think so." Steve went back to the area he'd been in and moved clothes around before picking up a black halter top. "Here. Try this on."

"Perfect! It'll go great with my boots." She glanced around curiously. "Where's Bucky?"

"He said he had to go to the restroom."

"Ah. Well, I'll go ahead and try this on. I'm a bit worn out after all of this shopping. No wonder I hated going to the stores as a child." Natasha yawned as she walked over to the changing rooms and Steve went with her. The room she'd used earlier now had a sign that said 'occupied' on it. So did the other three rooms, save for one at the end.

"There must be a lot of people buying clothes today," she remarked and opened the door to the changing room.

"Told ya. This place is very popular." Steve followed Natasha inside as he and Bucky had done before. There was a tiny couch in every changing room and three mirrors several feet from the furniture that one could change behind.

Little did they know, Bucky wasn't really in the restroom. He'd been hidden from view, watching Steve and Natasha, waiting for them to head to the dressing room. Once his friends had closed the door to the changing room, Bucky took the keys, which he got from the salesgirl after telling her his plan - she obliged him happily, finding his scheme quite romantic - and made his way to the door. Inserting the key and with one flick of his fingers, he locked it.

 _Let's see how they handle this,_ he thought wickedly to himself.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bucky is such a sneaky little jerk. ;)


	8. Just A Taste

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Natasha's attraction to Steve pushes her to be a little bold._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't expect to post another update so quickly, but my muse was working into overdrive last night. This chapter is longer because I wanted to get into Steve and Nat's heads before moving on to the juicier bits.

* * *

 

 

Natasha twirled around in her outfit. "Well, what do you think?"

Steve smiled at her, his eyes appreciating the clothes she had on. "You look amazing. Bucky was right about that skirt. The fringe is pretty eye popping and it makes your legs look longer."

 _Thank God I shaved them in the shower this morning,_ she thought to herself.

"Really? I guess the boots help with that, too. Now, all I need is a leather jacket to go with this ensemble and it'll be complete."

"I agree. Then you'd have the badass biker babe look down perfectly."

She blushed, happy to hear such praise from him. "Thank you!"

"You're welcome. I'll go and see if Bucky's out of the restroom now."

"Okay," Natasha said with a smile and she turned to go back behind the mirrors and change.

Steve walked to the dressing room door and turned the knob, but nothing happened. He grunted and placed a hand on the door, tugged and pulled on it with no success. "What's going on here?"

Hearing him mumble in frustration, Natasha came out from behind the mirrors. "Is something wrong?"

"Uh, yeah. The door is jammed." He glanced at her as she approached and jiggled the doorknob and even kicked it to get it to move, but it still didn't open. "Hello? Is anyone out there? Help!"

There was nothing but silence.

Natasha pounded the door with her fist. "Hey! We're locked in the dressing room! Someone, get us out of here! Please!"

Suddenly, something occurred to Steve. "Oh, no. I have bad news."

Natasha looked at Steve with a frown and put her hands on her hips. "As opposed to being stuck in this room with no one to get us out?"

"Yeah." Steve licked his lips. "Wanda's has a custom of closing the store around noon so the employees can take their lunch break."

Realization dawned on Natasha and her face went ashen. "Don't tell me..."

Steve held up his watch. "It's 12:09 right now and the lunch break is an hour and fifteen minutes. It'll be 1:24 or later before we get out of here."

"...oh." 

"I'm sorry," came Steve's reply, eyes filled with sympathy.

"Don't be. It's not your fault. The door must be warped or something." Natasha sighed and shook her head. "I need to change back into my clothes. Be out in a second."

As she walked away, Steve couldn't resist taking in the shapely form of her legs. God, she had a lovely figure. "Stop ogling, Steve," he muttered to himself and turned back to the door, banging on it and jiggling the knob to no avail.

Nothing worked and the door remained unmovable, so he went to the small couch and sank down on it. Well, this could actually be a blessing in disguise. Since Steve and Natasha were stuck in the same room together, they'd likely pass the time by talking.

The blond smiled, beginning to feel relief that they were trapped in the dressing room. Clearly the attraction he felt for Natasha was a mutual one, and perhaps they would grow even closer as a result of this situation. Thank goodness Bucky brought up shopping or this never would have happened.

Of course, Steve wasn't going to mention it when he saw Bucky. The **last** thing he'd need is his best friend trying to play matchmaker.

 

* * *

  

As she changed back into her own clothes, Natasha's mind kept going into the gutter. Out of all the scenarios she'd pictured between she and Steve - particularly in her dreams - where they were alone together, this wasn't anywhere near as erotic as she'd thought it'd be.

Natasha wasn't the kind of woman who went out, hunting men down like an insatiable she wolf, but damn, she was seriously considering doing that just for Steve. _I wonder what Steve was really thinking when he saw me in this skirt? Did he think that I looked desirable or sexy? He must have because the way he stared at me out there was positively **amorous**._

This filled the redhead with a sense of glee and she fought the urge to squeal.

Normally, she couldn't care less what men thought of her since many of them saw her as a sexy bombshell and that was it, but Steve was different. She could tell right away from the first moment she met him that he was special. He treated her with respect and he was the first man she'd met in America who she could truly think of as a gentleman.

Smoothing her shirt down, Natasha took the store clothes with her as she came out from behind the mirror. She smiled as Steve, who was sitting on the couch, looked a little nervous, like a teenager waiting for his prom date.

Natasha hung the clothes up on a little hook on the wall and made her way to the couch. Steve's eyes were locked onto hers and she felt her chest tighten. When she was a few feet from him, a phrase her old school friends from Russia used to tease her with came to mind.

_When the black widow sets a trap, no man can get out of it._

Her eyes darted to Steve's lips and she bit back a moan. How she wanted to taste him and run her hands through his blond hair. It had been so long since she'd last touched a man in such a familiar way and she was tempted to 'trap' him so she could have him all to herself.

Steve was pure, good and kind. In a relationship, he'd be one hundred percent committed and would never do something to jeopardize it. There'd be no worry of his cheating or raising a hand to harm her. He was a gentle soul who would love with all of his heart and cherish what he had.

She may not have known Steve very long, but Natasha studied him carefully over the past few months and she realized that Steve was the kind of man _she'd_ want to be with. The kind of man with whom she could find happiness.

"Natasha? Is everything alright?" Steve looked at her in concern.

The redhead hadn't even noticed that she stopped walking and was staring at Steve intently. "Yes. Everything is fine." Her mind made up, Natasha came closer and placed herself in his lap, bracing her hands on his shoulders.

"What are you doing?" He asked, looking at her, confused, but there was not a trace of worry, uncertainty or fear in his voice. _Interesting._

Natasha held her forefinger against his mouth and shushed him, running it along his lower lip sensually. When she spoke, her Russian accent tinged her husky words. "Something I should have done a long time ago." Then she moved her hand to stroke the back of his neck and tugged him forward, pressing her lips to his. 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is supposed to be a slow burn fic! I don't know what I'm doing.  
> -hands on cheeks-


	9. Hands All Over

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Steve and Natasha get a little carried away in the dressing room._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry! No smut in this chapter! Only a heavy make out session, but I'm sure you'll enjoy it nonetheless. ;)

* * *

 

At first, Natasha kissed Steve with a bit of timidity. It had been a long time since she'd last kissed a man, so she chose to take it slow. Steve was equally timid, his hands holding her by the waist as she straddled his lap. His lips gently moved against hers, almost experimentally.

 _Strange, but nice,_ she thought, humming to herself as she enjoyed the wonderful feeling of his mouth upon hers. Natasha would have been content to stay like this, kissing Steve softly, but he decided to switch things up on her.

In what seemed like superhuman movement, she was suddenly on her back with Steve hovering over her. There a lustful look on his face that made a heat pool between Natasha's legs in desire. He pressed his lips to hers and she moaned from the power of the kiss.

Steve's tongue slid into her mouth and he proved himself to be a very proficient kisser. His hands stroked her flat stomach, making her muscles flutter in excitement. Natasha wiggled against him and tugged him closer to her body, crushing his hard chest to her breasts.

God, she had wanted this for so long. From the first moment they met, she really liked what she saw and made the decision to get to know her landlord better. Although she was happy to have his friendship, there was always another craving inside of her that grew every time she saw him.

Natasha lusted after Steve, had been ever since she moved into the Haven Apartments, but she was very good about keeping her true feelings hidden. Sometimes, though, they bubbled above the surface when the tension was high, and **oh** , was there tension between them right now.

Especially at breakfast earlier. If Bucky hadn't been there in the apartment that morning, Natasha was sure that she'd have leapt across the table and gone all nine and a half weeks on him.

Slowly, her fingers travelled down until they reached the jeans he was wearing. The redhead smiled wickedly as she slipped her hand into his boxers and palmed him through the fabric. Tiny pants expelled from Steve's mouth and he jerked back from her in surprise.

"What are you doing?" His words were heavy and flooded with desire.

"Having a little fun, Steve. Isn't that what you wanted? For me to enjoy myself? Mm, but maybe you don't like it? In that case, I've been a... _bad girl_." Natasha purred. She bit her lip and ran her hand under Steve's shirt, tickling her fingers on his warm skin. "Perhaps you should punish me?"

Steve's face literally turned one hundred percent pink. From the apples of his cheeks to the tips of his ears - that was pretty cute, but she decided to keep this to herself. "Natasha," he groaned with a hint of frustration. Then he forced himself to move off her and away to the far end of the couch.

Okay, that hurt a little bit, but she was determined not to let it crush her ego. Maybe he was afraid of running away with his emotion. 

Natasha blinked and sat up, straightening her shirt. "I'm sorry if I overstepped my bounds."

The blond visibly tensed up at this, his blue eyes glancing at her breasts before looking back to her face. "You don't understand. I _did_ enjoy it. I just...it's been a long time for me."

She couldn't resist the smile that spread on her face. "Steve Rogers, are you telling me that you're out of practice?"

Those blue eyes met hers glaringly and he huffed. "What's wrong with that?"

"Oh, nothing at all, but you're gonna need to study more. Practice **does** make perfect, after all."

"That's not always true." He watched as Natasha scooted over to him.

"Come, on. Everybody needs a little practice now and then." She touched Steve's hand and stroked it with her own. His muscles jumped under her fingers and she let out a giggle. "Relax, Steve. I won't hurt you."

"Okay." Something flashed in his eyes and he quickly added, "Wait, um, could you keep the clothes on?"

Natasha smiled seductively. "Mine or yours?" The embarrassed look on his face made her bite the inside of her cheek. _Damn._ He was just too cute. And now, her panties were drenched. "Alright. I'll leave our clothes alone since you said it. It's too bad, though. I haven't seen you shirtless." _Yet_ was the word she didn't add. "It would have been quite the treat."

It was a miracle that Steve wasn't sweating at this point. He just stared at her with those big, beautiful baby blues. 

She moved her hand to his chest and smoothed the fabric of the shirt under her fingers. "May I kiss you again?"

"Yes." He sounded like he'd been holding that word in for a long time.

Natasha scooted closer to Steve and she touched his face with one of her hands and moved the other to his collarbone. She held her forehead to his and closed her eyes, breathing in his scent. It was heavenly. Then she brushed her lips to his again, teasing and tasting.

Steve sighed into the kiss and relaxed, pulling her on top of him again and firmly holding her in place with his hands on her waist. The redhead cooed and playfully moved her hips against his, making them both moan.

She bunched up Steve's shirt and shamelessly groped his chest. The blond let out a quiet moan and Natasha grinned, placing one of his hands just under the waist band of her jeans. Steve caught on to what she was doing and he teased her just as she did him. He dipped his fingertips inside her jeans and ran them along the seam of her panties, stroking her, but he went no farther than that. 

His lips suckled Natasha's neck and she cried out, bucking against him, feeling the most delightful tingles all over her body. Steve was like a match and Natasha was kerosene. When he touched her, she was on fire. She buried her hand in his hair and gently tugged him closer, kissing him when he lifted his mouth to hers again.

Neither one of them knew how long they'd been on that couch, kissing, caressing and touching and eliciting mewls of pleasure from each other. They didn't care either. They were too busy enjoying this moment.

At some point, the doorknob jiggled and voices began to rise behind the door of the dressing room. Natasha and Steve pulled their lips apart when the sounds started growing louder and turned their heads towards the door.

"What was that?" Natasha asked out loud.

There was a loud pounding on the door and Natasha squealed, jumping out of Steve's lap and onto the cushion next to him. They both fixed their rumpled clothing and not a moment too soon because, seconds later, the door swung open. Instead of it being Bucky or the salesgirl, a blonde woman walked into the room.

When Steve realized who she was, his eyes widened in disbelief. "Sharon?"

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! I know you guys are excited now that Sharon's in the story! Right?!  
> ...no? Okay. XD


	10. Keep The Past Prologue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Steve and Natasha run into Steve's ex._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, I am so, so sorry for not updating in a while and I am also very sorry for how uneventful this chapter is. Shame on me! I promise the next one will be so much better and you won't have to wait a week for it. Same goes for _Never Touch A Russian's Cookies_.

* * *

    
Natasha felt her heart sink. Who was this Sharon? Was she someone who'd broken Steve's heart in the past?

The blonde woman looked at Steve and Natasha, her eyes still wide with embarrassment and surprise. After a few moment, she spoke. "Steve. I didn't expect to run into you here."

Poor Steve. The expression on his face could only be described as a deer caught in headlights. It was just his luck that he ran into his ex moments after he finished making out with his roommate. Well, it could have been worse; she could have caught them _kissing._

Steve stood and walked over to Sharon, with Natasha closely behind. "I thought you were in Washington."

"I was, but Aunt Peggy has gotten worse. The doctors say it won't be very long now. Maybe a month at the most, so I wanted to be there for her during her last days." Sharon's voice cracked a little and her eyes went downcast.

Steve felt sympathy for Sharon. He knew how much her great aunt meant to her and he'd had the privilege of meeting the lady a few times. Even though his relationship with Sharon had been lukewarm at best, he'd enjoyed getting to know her aunt during the time that he dated her niece. "I'm so sorry to hear that."

"Thank you. She's lived a good life, so I'm grateful for that." Sharon wiped at her eye and sighed, then she looked at Natasha kindly. "Oh, I apologize. I haven't even introduced myself. I'm Sharon Carter." She held out her hand.

Natasha smiled at the blonde and shook her hand. "Natasha Romanoff. Nice to meet you."

"Same. Wow, that's a name, alright. Russian?"

"Yes."

"Had to escape the cold, huh?"

"Oh...no. I just wanted a life that I couldn't get in Russia. So I came to America instead. Land of opportunity and all that."

"I understand. You wanted a change and you took steps to ensure you could get it. That's good." Sharon glanced at Steve. "The two of you look nice together. Are you dating?"

Suddenly, internal alarms went off in Natasha's head and they screamed "Danger!" In truth, Natasha wouldn't feel cautious at all if it weren't for the question paired with a probing glint in Sharon's face. There was something about those eyes that set Natasha on edge and she had no idea why.

Before she even knew what she was doing, Natasha grabbed Steve's hand, entwining their fingers and leaning against him in a way that couldn't been seen as anything other than possessive. "Yes, we are. Steve's a real sweetheart, but you probably already know that."

"Congratulations. That's...that's great." Sharon smiled again, but it didn't reach her eyes. It was clear that she **didn't** think it was great.

Finally, Steve's mouth began to work again, as if Natasha's assertiveness gave him the ability to speak. "Thank you, Sharon. We appreciate it." He gave Natasha's forehead a gentle kiss for good measure to add to the illusion.

Since Natasha was leaning against Steve, she felt the rigidness in his body and understood that he wanted to leave just as much as she did. So she went to pick up her fringed skirt and blouse off the clothes hook and made her way back to Steve, slipping her arm in his. "Babe, we should go so she can change."

"Ah, right." Steve had been so taken aback by Sharon's appearance that he hadn't noticed the clothes she held in her hands. He and Natasha stepped out of the changing room. "Uh, be careful with the door. I think it's a little warped or something."

Natasha chimed in. "Yeah, we were stuck in there for an hour or so. It was ridiculous."

Sharon quirked her brow. "Your door was locked, too? I don't know why. The salesgirl had to fix a sign at the front of the store and since I was the only other person here, she gave me the key to unlock the changing rooms. Could you give it back to her?" She held the key out to Steve and he took it.

"Sure. So we were just locked inside?"

"Yeah, but after I unlocked it, I still had a hard time opening the door, so you're probably right. It just may be a little warped. What I don't get is why there were occupied signs on all of the other doors. It's not like anyone was inside of them. Odd."

Right then, Bucky came around the corner. "Steve, Natasha! There you guys are! I was looking all over for you! Did you sneak off while I was- _shit_!" He just realized who was standing a few feet away. "Ah, hey, Sharon," he said awkwardly.

The frown that had already been present on Sharon's face grew even bigger as she looked at Bucky. They had never gotten along when she and Steve were dating and Bucky was more than happy when Steve finally broke it off with the blonde.

"Hello, Bucky," came Sharon's clipped reply, then she opened the door to another changing room, but she turned to Steve again. "I'll see you around."

"Is that a threat or a promise?" Bucky said saucily, unable to keep from making a crack at her expense.

Sharon laughed good-naturedly at Bucky's jibe, and flipped him off before slamming the door.

"I'd forgotten what a joy she was to have around." Bucky rolled his eyes as he walked out of the hallway and back to the open space in the store. "You were smart to dump that one, Steve. Although...you did **date** her first, so you lose points for that." He made a gagging sound as they walked away.

Steve smacked his best friend's arm. "Bucky, that was rude. I know you and Sharon never liked each other, but you could have at least been civil to her."

Bucky pretended to be shocked by this and placed a hand on his chest. "Wasn't I behaving as my usual charming self?"

"You were being an jerk."

"Well, it was always easy to be one around her."

"That's because you never tried to be polite."

"She's always hated me and you know it!"

"Hey!" Natasha snapped her fingers at both men. "That's enough. You're acting like little boys, fighting over a toy. Stop it." She gave Steve a pointed look. "Sharon may not have gotten along with Bucky, but it doesn't matter because you don't date her now. Hell, she thinks _we're_ a couple, so you should be happy."

"Wait. She thinks you're a couple?" Bucky's eyes widened and he smiled broadly, like a kid with his hand in the cookie jar.

"Sharon asked if we were dating, so I said yes because Steve looked like he wanted to get away. It worked." 

"That's perfect! Maybe she had plans to get you back, but she won't try that now. Good thinking, Natasha!" Bucky patted the redhead's back.

Steve crossed his arms and gave Bucky a suspicious glare. "Yeah, there's just one thing I'm curious about. We thought that we were stuck in the changing room because the door was warped, but it was locked, too. You had something to do with this, didn't you?"

" _Me?_ Could I be so sneaky and mischievous?"

"Sneaky and mischievous are synonymous with your existence, Buck."

Bucky cleared his throat and got between Steve and Natasha, tugging them forward. "Natasha still has to get her toiletries, and you're both probably really hungry too, so let's stop with the interrogation and get these clothes bought, huh?"

Steve and Natasha glanced at each other and couldn't fight the smile that grew on their faces. Bucky had obviously locked them in the changing room together, but neither of them would chastise him for it. He had done them a big favor because now, a door had been opened in their relationship and they'd be damned if they weren't going to go through it.

 

 


	11. Choosing To Bend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Natasha has the hots for Steve. Plain and simple._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe how much feedback _Torched_ has gotten already. There are two hundred plus comments on this story and I haven't even gotten to chapter twenty yet! I feel so honored that you guys have been willing to consistently read and comment on this fic as it goes on. Thank you so much for the praise and the support you've given me. I love you all and I appreciate each and every one of you. ❤️❤️❤️

* * *

 

  
The next few hours flew by relatively quickly for Natasha. After she purchased her clothes, Steve and Bucky took her to a small grocery store a few blocks away where she could get her toiletries and a few other things.

Of course, it was hard to concentrate because she felt Steve's eyes on her the whole time. She remembered the way his eyes gazed upon her back in the changing room, like he couldn't get enough of her. She'd never had a man look at her like that before. It made her feel warm in the best way.

In all truthfulness, that moment between them in the dressing room had been one of the most sensual experiences of Natasha's life and just thinking about it made her blush. Steve had been so gentle, so warm and affectionate, that she fancied he might be halfway in love with her.

That was obviously _impossible_ , but it was still a nice thing to think about. She had no idea what she'd been thinking when she told Sharon that she was Steve's girlfriend. The lie had come out so fast that even Natasha was taken aback by it.

_You're just putting yourself in a hole, Natasha. How awkward will it be when the two of you go back to the apartment? Steve will probably stop trying to be friendly to you and every time you see him will be awkward._

With all of this on her mind, Natasha was barely functioning. Luckily, Bucky chatted her up and she gave him her attention, too nervous to look Steve in the eye or address him.

A couple of times, his hand brushed against hers and she bit her lip, doing her best to act like the touches hadn't affected her. 

When she bought everything she needed from the store, Steve opened the back door of Bucky's car for her. "Thank you," she said gratefully, smiling up at him.

"You're welcome," he replied as his hand grazed her lower back.

She knew that he only meant it as a friendly gesture, but Natasha's mind was one hundred percent in the gutter and she licked her lips, wishing the light pressure had been on her bare skin and in an entirely different place.

 _Shit._ He was going to be the death of her.

The drive back home wasn't as uncomfortable because Bucky put on Avril Lavigne - that was unexpected - and she started singing along with the songs with Bucky joining her. The music helped fill that awkward, empty space that Natasha knew was created by the moment she and Steve shared together earlier.

Soon, they were back home and Bucky helped them take the bags inside. "I have to go and see how Wanda's doing. She sent me a text while we were at the boutique and said she's feeling lonely, so I thought I'd go visit her." He gave her a hug. "It was great to meet you, Natasha. We'll have to hang out again sometime and maybe, you'll get to meet Wanda, too."

"I'd really like that, Bucky."

"Good!" Bucky's eyes switched to Steve and grinned at his friend, but there was something Natasha couldn't read in his expression. "Hey, punk, make sure you take care of this girl. She's a diamond in the rough."

Steve couldn't help smiling at that because his friend was right. "I will. See ya, jerk."

" 'Night." Bucky waved at them and left in his car.

Natasha moved first and picked up her bags, trying to pretend that Steve's presence didn't affect her. He followed and placed the bags on her bed. "If you want to wash your clothes, go ahead. I always buy detergent in bulk, so we're in good shape for a few months."

"Thank you, Steve. I'll wash these after I get the tags off them. Oh, do you have any fabric softener?"

"No, but I use dryer sheets. Will those work?"

"Sure! I'm not picky. It doesn't matter to me as long as it smells good."

"Great. I'll leave you to it, then."

"Okay."

Steve turned to walk away, but Natasha caught him by the arm. "Wait."

"Is something wrong?"

"No-yes, oh, I don't know. We need to talk..." _God,_ why did she feel like such a silly teenager?

"Those are four of the most hated words used in a sentence, Natasha." There was a humorous lilt in Steve's voice. "You want to know about what happened between us earlier."

"Yes. I mean, obviously, there's something going on because you keep smiling at me and you're so sweet and giving me signals. Then we made out in the dressing room earlier. I just need to know if this is going to be a problem for you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Sharon. She's your ex girlfriend, right?"

"Yeah."

"Well, when I lied to her about you and me, I only did it to help you out. I know I shouldn't have, but you looked like your worst nightmare had just come true and I made a spur of the moment decision. So if you're mad at me, I'm sorry..."

Steve interrupted Natasha with a kiss and she let out a surprised squeak at the action. When he pulled back, her eyes were closed and she swayed a bit.

It took her a few moments to gather enough strength to open her eyes and she did, she stared up at Steve in a haze of desire and wonder. "What did you do that for?"

"Because you talk too much."

Those words were like a punch to the stomach and she looked away, feeling embarrassed for being a chatterbox. "Oh..."

"But I've always wanted to kiss you," - her eyes widened in surprise at this - "so I figured now was as good a time as any." His voice was husky as he said this and Natasha's stomach clenched when she heard it.

For a handful of seconds, neither of them said anything. Natasha had no idea what to say to that and Steve was feeling an onslaught of shyness for being so frank about how he felt.

Natasha finally blew out a relieved breath and ran a hand through her hair. "Ha. Now that it's out in the open...I've always wanted to kiss you, too."

Steve's eyes widened and he stared down at her in disbelief. "Really?"

"Yes," she replied, gently resting her hand on his arm. "You're a sweet guy, Steve, and I've enjoyed our friendship very much, but I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't interested in having something more with you. After all, I don't just make out with _anyone."_

His cheeks turned red and he chuckled. "I didn't think so and I feel the same way. So where does that leave us?"

"You already know what I want, but I guess the question is, who do you want me to be?"

Steve looked at Natasha's hand and grasped it in his own. She was so small compared to him, but there was, quite possibly, no one with a bigger heart. He'd gotten to know her as a friend and that was definitely rewarding. Still...he felt a tugging at his chest and his breath halted every time his eyes met hers.

There was only one way to describe how she made him feel, and that was enraptured. It was a very different thing than he felt for Sharon. This would be something good and worthwhile in his life, he was sure of it.

Smiling at Natasha, Steve touched her cheek with his other hand and grazed the skin tenderly, the way a lover would. He leaned forward, lips mere inches away from hers and he whispered, "I want you to be my girl," before capturing her lips with his own once more.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay for another MCU quote! I hadn't even intended on adding that in this chapter. It just slipped in there while I was editing~ :D


	12. What's In The Cards

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Steve and Natasha are enjoying their time as a happy couple, but there is trouble on the horizon._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is when my bigger plot starts to come into play. I'm not going to spoil any of you on what is going to happen, but let's just say that Sharon is going to cause a lot of problems for Steve and Nat.

* * *

   
Natasha hummed to herself as she touched the nape of Steve's neck, fingering the strands of hair there. His eyes were closed as he sat on the couch, enjoying the feel of her fingertips against his scalp.

After a while, he pulled away and half turned, facing her with dark eyes. Natasha's stomach dropped and she bit her lips, smiling at him. "What is it?"

Steve didn't say anything, just slanted his mouth over hers and tugged her body close to his own. She liked it, of course, and squealed when the blond placed his hand on her breast.

They were supposed to be watching tv, but Steve clearly had other plans. He squeezed her breast, palming it in his large hand. It was funny to her how he'd told her a few days ago, that he'd been out of practice at this kind of thing. To Natasha, he was doing a pretty excellent job so far.

She pulled back for a moment to catch her breath and gazed into her boyfriend's eyes. **God** , she still couldn't get over that. Her _boyfriend_. She was on cloud nine over the fact and it had been a full three days since they decided to make their relationship official.

Steve was such an attentive, caring boyfriend and he was so chivalrous. Natasha had already begun to fall a little more in love with him every day. She loved how he was obsessed with big band music, Dean Martin and Andy Williams. They even danced together to April in Paris in the kitchen last night after Steve had put the cd on his boom box.

They both still slept in their own rooms, but that didn't stop them from climbing into one another's bed and cuddling. She always felt so safe in Steve's arms and his the way he smelled. It was a cross between a woodsy scent and fresh soap. More than once, she found herself sniffing his shirt before falling asleep.

So she was getting very attached, but how could any woman not be with a man like Steve? He was so unlike the men Natasha had grown up knowing, so superior in manner and his treatment of people, particularly her. In the back of her mind, there was a whisper that told her he just might be the one.

And honestly, Natasha was already half sure that he was right now, and they had only known each other less than half a year, been friends for around the same amount of time and were lovers for two days. But for some people, it took a short time to become connected strongly and her relationship with Steve fit perfectly in that category.

"Hey, you okay?"

Natasha was pulled away from her musings at the sound of Steve's inquisitive voice and his furrowed brow. "Oh, yes. I'm fine." She touched her boyfriend's cheek tenderly and kissed his forehead. "I was just thinking about us."

"No regrets, I hope."

"Definitely not. I just..." Natasha bit her lip and looked away, feeling a little nervous about confessing how she felt to Steve. She had never been in a serious relationship before, so the waters of intimacy and communication in a romantic capacity were foreign to her.

"You know you can tell me anything," he said, rubbing her back affectionately.

How was it that she was so positively ruined for this man? His earnestness and pureness of heart hit her so hard that she sometimes wondered if she were in a dream. "I know that this may sound crazy, but I was thinking about my future with you and...if you're my perfect mate."

The look on Steve's face was one of mild shock, then smoothed into something deeper and understanding. Perhaps he had thought of her in the same way, too? The blond took her hand in his and held it to his heart. "I've been thinking about that since the day we met."

" _Really?_ "

"Yes." He kissed her knuckles before continuing. "I told you that Sharon was the only woman I'd ever been involved with, but we were a terrible fit right from the start. At first, I thought maybe it was just a fluke and we just had a lukewarm beginning in our relationship, but after two weeks of dating, I realised that it could never work."

Natasha nodded her head and grasped his hand in hers. Maybe she was a bit mean for thinking so, but thank goodness that Sharon and Steve were a hit and miss. Otherwise, Natasha, herself, might have been in an entirely different situation than the one she was currently in. "You were too different?"

"Mmhm. Sharon was an aggressive career woman and she loved to be seen and heard everywhere she went. It's possible that she changed, but I doubt it. She's the kind of person who won't change unless it's a last resort."

"That's pretty sad."

"Yeah, but she didn't see anything wrong with the way she was. Sharon always stayed the same and she was good at trying to run other peoples' lives or force them to be what she wanted. She was a user and she never saw anything wrong with that. That's why I broke up with her."

Clucking her tongue, the redhead replied, "Sounds like she's going to have a rude awakening sooner or later."

Steve sighed and shook his head as he thought about it. "I have a feeling that you're right about that. I just hope no one gets caught in her web when it happens."

"Well, I'm just glad that she won't cause us any trouble. If there's one thing I'm not eager to deal with, it's controlling ex girlfriends."

 

* * *

 

Disgusting. They were truly disgusting. The image of that Natasha woman with her arms draped all over Steve made Sharon's blood boil.

Sure, she knew that it was possible Steve would would get over her and maybe move on with someone else and she'd been willing to accept that, but seeing him with that redhaired _tramp_  had made Sharon inexplicably angry.

The blonde woman curled her legs curled up underneath her as she took a long drag of her cigarette. She kept seeing a replay of her handsome ex with that other woman on his arm and she rocked back and forth on the couch.

Yes, it was true that Sharon hadn't been the best girlfriend, but she thought that, given time, she could go to Steve and convince him to take another chance on her. It wouldn't have been a first for any couple that had broken up.

Not to be morbid, but it was perfect timing that her Aunt Peggy wasn't in the best of health anymore. Since none of her other family members were alive, Sharon had no choice but to move to New York to be with her until her final days. That enabled her to be closer to her old boyfriend, but this Natasha presented herself as an obstacle to get past if Sharon wanted Steve back.

The little redheaded bitch was a literal fly in the ointment and unfortunately, Sharon knew she would have her work cut out for her if she were going to successfully break that relationship up. A small smile spread across her face and she puffed her cigarette once more. Luckily, she was up for a challenge.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, you guys are gonna hate Sharon in this fic.


	13. Whenever You're Near

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Bucky spends time with Wanda._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~~I have to be honest with you guys. I've started running out of steam for this fic, but I'm gonna keep writing it because I love it. However, _Torched_ is going to have infrequent updates from now on. I really feel bad about this, but for me, when I hit a bit of a writing block, I have to wait it out until I get my second wind. Otherwise, what I distribute will be less than my best. I've also never written a fanfic that lasted this long and it's foreign territory because I'm not sure when I'll be finished with it. This is why I've taken a bit of a breather and focused on writing fics for one of my other otps, which I'm sure you've noticed. Anyway, I'm not giving up on any of my stories at the moment, so please don't unsubscribe.~~
> 
>  
> 
> Forget what I previously posted. I just remembered that I wrote out the summary for the next several chapters a few days ago when I was on the verge of sleep. XD

* * *

 

"Wow, this girl sounds like she might be good for Steve."

"She really is. I wish you could have been there. He was staring at her and ducking his head whenever she looked at him. It was like he was a shy schoolboy all over again."

I can imagine." Wanda yawned. "Hopefully, Sharon will leave them alone. It's bad enough that Steve dated her in the first place."

"I second that. She was always a control freak. I guess she's in the city because of her aunt, but I still don't trust her."

"You're a good friend, Bucky. I'd probably be suspicious of her, too." Wanda patted his hand before she took her final spoonful of soup. "Thanks for bringing the soup by. You really didn't have to."

"Hey, you're one of my best friends. I'm obligated, and besides, you needed the company."

"Aw, don't tell me that you were worried about me being all by myself."

"Tsk, of course not, but I didn't want to go home yet and I wanted to check up on you."

She gave him a stern look. "I'm not an invalid, Bucky."

His eyes widened and he raised his hands up to. "Hey, take it easy. I wasn't trying to insult you. I just...I like being around you."

"Well, that's sweet. I like being around you, too. And it's nice being babied every once in a while. Since Pietro and Crystal moved, I've been a little lonely." Wanda's smile dimmed a bit and she closed her eyes, sighing to herself.

Bucky frowned at that. Five months ago ago, Wanda's brother and his wife moved to Alaska to be near her family. Pietro and Wanda were twins and when he told Wanda that he and Crystal were moving, she hadn't taken it well. They were as close as siblings could be and for Wanda, it was as if a piece of her was leaving.

After her brother left, Wanda buried herself in her work, trying to use it to fill the hole in her life that Pietro's absence had made. It wasn't easy and even though she was loathe to admit it, Wanda had cried a lot that first few months.

The only solace she had was from her friends, particularly Bucky and Steve. They both took it upon themselves to "adopt" her as their little sister - Steve's words, not Bucky's - and and spend as much time with her as their schedules would allow.

For Bucky, though, he had a lot of time on his hands. His great-grandfather bought a lot of stock when he was a young man and divided them up among his children. His children followed suite and by the time Bucky was born, his family was pretty well-off. 

He didn't even have to work, but he was a bit of a restless spirit and liked to keep busy. So he went to school and became an EMT. It wasn't easy work, but he actually enjoyed it and even though he made less money being on the road instead of in the hospitals, he didn't mind one bit. Driving around in his emergency truck made him feel freer and less bogged down than if he'd been stationed in a hospital.

And Bucky loved his freedom. Although, he was willing to shelve it for quality time with two people besides his mother and sister, and that was Steve and Wanda. Steve was his best friend and they'd known each other since they were kids. They were as close as blood. However, Wanda was different.

Bucky wasn't sure why he always felt a weird flutter whenever he saw Wanda around. He always felt so at ease and kind of...blissful when she was near him. Not only that, but sometimes, he'd get the most delicious shivers down his spine whenever she'd hug him or kiss his cheek.

And as embarrassing at it was, his hands got clammy and there were times when he'd look into her eyes and feel a rush of warmth and shyness go through him. It was like he was a child again.

Steve occasionally teased Bucky about the way he acted around Wanda and Bucky would just laugh at his insinuations, but deep down, he knew the truth. There was a part of Bucky Barnes that truly loved Wanda Maximoff. And not in a _sisterly_ way, either.

"Have you talked to Pietro lately?" He asked her softly.

"Two days ago. He and Crystal are having a baby."

"No way! Really?!"

"Yes, she's two months along. They said on the week she's due to deliver, they'll send me a plane ticket so I can come visit and see my little niece or nephew. Or the baby could end up being  _two_ babies. Who knows?"

"A twin having his own pair of twins. Yeah, that would be pretty cool. I'm glad they're going to send for you when the baby's born. It's only right that you should be there for the birth, given how close you and Pietro are."

"Mmhm. I was happy when he told me about it. Gave my spirits a boost."

"Good. Now we just need to boost your immune system."

Wanda scowled at Bucky and slapped his arm. "I told you that I'm not sick anymore!"

"Whatever you say, Wan." Bucky just looked at her with a teasing sparkle in his eyes and her breath caught as she glared back at him. Why did he have to be so attractive?

She picked up the tray that rested on her lap and placed it on the nightstand before turning to face Bucky again. "Stop being a Умник."

Bucky smirked at her and leaned forward. "Может быть, я буду. Если вы перестанете быть упрямый осел."

The corner of Wanda's mouth curved ever so slightly. She always loved that Bucky had taken a course in Russian. Just knowing that he knew how to speak her native tongue made her feel like they shared a private intimacy with each other. "Touché," she replied.

He returned the smile and entwined his fingers with hers, holding it close to his heart. "Well, what should we do now? Do you want me to put a movie on?"

She fought off a blush and shrugged. "It doesn't matter to me. I'd rather just cuddle with you some more."

Bucky chuckled. "Aha! I knew that you couldn't resist me."

"Shut up," Wanda said, but with no real malice as she tugged him close to her and buried her face in his shirtfront, breathing his scent in.

She'd been telling the truth earlier when she said that sometimes, she felt lonely, but whenever Bucky held her, that feeling was replaced by an entirely different one. It was a shame that she was too afraid to voice it.

 

* * *

 

  
Умник = smart ass  
Может быть, я буду. Если вы перестанете быть упрямый осел = Maybe I will. If you will stop being a stubborn ass

 

 


	14. These Moments of Bliss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Steve and Nat go to the grocery store. Fluffiness commences._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a fluffy, plotless mess dedicated to furthering the adorableness of Steve and Nat's relationship. Our two lovebirds need a few more happy moments together before Sharon starts stirring up trouble.

* * *

   
Steve walked beside his girlfriend as they made their way through the supermarket. They were six days into their relationship and Natasha decided that she wanted to make them a special dinner for their one week anniversary.

The night before, they were supposed to have been watching a movie, but ended up cuddling on the couch, talking. At one point in the conversation, Natasha bit her lip and told him what she thought about doing the next day.

"I know it's not really a big deal because we're barely into this relationship, but it's still important to me because you were the first person I made friends with after coming to the states. Knowing you has been a privilege and I want us to celebrate that...if it's okay with you."

" _Of course_ it's okay with me. I've been happy being with you too, Nat, and I think celebrating is a great idea. What did you have in mind?"

"Well, I thought we could cook a meal together." After Natasha explained everything she wanted to do, Steve voiced his approval and told her that he would help. He was pretty skilled in the kitchen, which she'd learned over the course of the last few days.

"So what exactly is it that we're making for dinner tonight?" 

"Smoked salmon with a vegetable medley and rice pilaf," Natasha replied as she pushed the small cart down the aisle where the sauces were located.

"That sounds good. I actually can't remember the last time I ate two sides with a meal."

She chuckled. "Well, if all of those frozen Michelina's dinners in the freezer are any indication, I'd say you've been eating poorly."

"Hey, now. Michelina's dinners are nice."

"Mmhm, and they cost ninety-nine cents each. With a low price like that, they've got to be garbage for the human body to consume and you would probably need to eat ten of them to fill yourself up."

Steve poked her side. "That estimation is a bit off. It takes six of those dinners to fill me up, not ten. Do you think I'm a pig?"

"No, but you _are_ huge, Steve. A man like you has to eat bigger meal portions every day and you're actually lucky that I'm with you now because your diet needs works. I don't want to **think** about what your arteries would have looked like ten years from now if I hadn't shown up."

"You're exaggerating, Nat. I only eat Michelina's dinners for lunch."

"Still." Natasha placed her hand on Steve's shoulder and gave him a smirk. "You need me."

He grinned back. "I can't argue with that."

"Good." Her eyes sparkled and she turned to the cart, pushing it forward again.

Steve thought about the salmon they were going to cook. "You know, I haven't had fish in a while either. I think the last time I did was at Louie's Bistro a year ago."

"Ugh, and **that** is a good reason for us to cook it at home so you can know what real fish tastes like."

"The fish I had at Louie's wasn't bad, though."

"Yeah, but did it have the love that I put into the food I make?" She shook her head at Steve, a smile on her face. "I doubt it."

"You put love into the food?"

"Always. Love is an important ingredient when it comes to cooking food. Makes it taste better."

"You know, it's amazing that you say that because my ma said the same thing. " _Whenever you cook, cook for the ones you care about with love in your heart, Stevie. That's the most important ingredient of all. Love always makes a difference, even in your food."_ "

Natasha looked up at her boyfriend with a surprised, yet pleased expression on her face. "Your mom said that?"

"Mmhm, it's what she was taught by her own mother and she continued that tradition with me. Of course, I didn't have any people I cooked for, just myself. Well, until you came along." Steve nudged her affectionately.

Natasha blushed a little and looked away. "Me too," she said softly.

She was so cute and he couldn't resist giving her a kiss on the forehead. When he pulled away, he kept them connected by entwining his fingers with hers and kissing her knuckles. "I really am glad you came into my life, Nat," he whispered and held her hand to his heart.

The feel of his heartbeat pounding against her hand made Natasha blush. She looked into his eyes and saw such affection there that she had to lock her knees to stop herself from swooning. He always made her feel so adored, so cherished.

"Me too," she replied as she leaned forward to hug him. He reciprocated, wrapping both arms around her waist and holding her close.

It always marveled Steve how Natasha fit so perfectly in his arms, with her head tucked to his chest, as if she were made for him. Things like fate and destiny had never been more than a silly fable to him or fairy tale, but being with her like this made him wonder if it really were possible.

After a few moments, Natasha said teasingly, "You know that public displays of affection make people very uncomfortable?"

"Well, they can get over it because I'm gonna hold you for as long as I can. If that makes a few people uneasy, that's their problem." Steve breathed in deeply and smiled as Natasha's scent curled around him. She always smelled like cinnamon and another fragrance that was inherently female. The more he smelled it, the more he loved it.

The redhead sighed contentedly and giggled as she realized that he was sniffing her. "Enjoying yourself?" She asked, amused.

"Am I ever. I don't think I could ever get enough of you, Nat. Your smile, your sass, your _smell_. I might be a little addicted."

"Steve, if I'd known you were such a romantic, I would have moved in with you sooner."

"I probably would have said yes then, too."

Natasha pulled back a little and stared up at him in mild disbelief. "You're joking."

"No, if you needed a place to stay, I would have let you move in with me." He gave her a resolute gaze and her heart fluttered in response. "My ma taught me never to turn down a person in need, especially a woman."

She nodded, remembering how Steve had told her about his mother's kind heart and desire to aid bruised and battered women. Natasha may not have been in the situation many of the women his mother helped, but even before the apartment fire, had she needed assistance, he would have offered. 

"I wish I could've met her."

"Me too. She would have loved you."

"And I know I would have loved her. There aren't many people in this world who are as strong as your mother was or kind. Plus, she raised _you_. She had to have been an amazing woman."

"That she was," he replied and he kissed her on the forehead gently. "And so are you."

 

 


	15. Call It Unpleasant

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Natasha has an encounter with a familiar yet unwelcome face at her job._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Augh! I can't believe how long it's taken me to update this fic, guys. I'm so sorry.

* * *

 

Natasha laced up her boots as she hummed a quiet tune to herself. Today's practice had been quite hard. Beauty and The Beast was the performance they'd be showing two and a half weeks from now and even though Natasha was only in a chorus role as a feather duster, she had to work just as hard as the prima ballerina who was playing Belle in the production.

They all did, but as a result, Natasha was very tired and ready to collapse.

"Natasha, do you need a ride home?" One of the trainers came behind her and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "You look like you might faint from exhaustion."

Natasha looked up at the woman and shook her head. "No, Laura. I'm fine. I took a taxi to get here, so Steve is coming to pick me up."

"Oh, that's right. Your boyfriend. How long have the two of you been dating again?"

A smile appeared on Natasha's face and she replied, "We've been dating for a little over two months now."

"Ah, I'm glad to hear it. The two of you are so sweet and Steve is such a nice guy." After a short pause, Laura sat down next to Natasha and whispered, "Clint wants to meet him, you know."

"He does?"

"Yeah. He said that since he's your only male friend and he sees you as a sister, he has to scope Steve out and make sure he really **is** trustworthy."

Both women rolled their eyes at that. Clint had been joking, of course, but after getting to know Natasha, he'd become a bit protective of her. Natasha didn't mind that at all, though. She had been an only child and the thought that someone was looking out for her made her feel good.

"I guess I can talk to Steve on the way home and see if we can set up a double date. I've already told him about the two of you and he's expressed some interest in meeting you."

"That's good. When your boyfriend shows signs that he wants to know who your friends are, it mean he cares. Although, Steve is the kind of guy who would care one way or another."

"Very true. He's a diamond in the rough." Natasha stood up and Laura followed suit. "I'm gonna walk to the front entrance. He'll be here soon."

"I'll go with you."

As the women made their way through the building, Laura kept her voice lowered because of what she was about to say. "So, about this Sharon person. You never ran into her again after the dressing room situation, right?"

"Yeah, but it just bothers me, Laura. I know this doesn't make sense, but I feel like I'm waiting for a pin to drop or something. Steve told me that Sharon was really controlling when he dated her and a workaholic, but he's always careful not to say anything bad about her. Bucky, on the other hand, has made a lot of insinuations that she may be a lot worse...or was."

"Eugh, psycho exes are a pain. I hope she didn't come into town with the intention of getting him back."

"It's funny you should say that because Bucky thinks that's why Sharon came to New York again. Except, I'm in her way." Natasha chewed her lip.

"What? Oh, _please._ I've never even met this woman and it's pretty obvious that she screwed things up all by herself. I know the type. She probably had some kind of big time job that kept her busy and provided her with plenty of flunkies, which explains the controlling thing."

"Maybe you're right. I just hope she's not a lawyer or anything..."

"Nah, with any luck, she'll be a "nice" but crazy nurse with a Stephen King obsession."

"Thanks for the comforting thoughts," Natasha quipped with a mild scowl on her face.

"Any time," Laura quipped. "But at least she isn't stalking you. That would be really bad."

"Don't even mention stalking. The last thing I need is a nightmare tonight."

"Well, think of it this way. If you do, you'll have a handsome man whose bed you can retreat to whenever you want."

"Laura..."

"What? Don't try to act innocent with me, Natasha Romanov. I've seen Steve in the flesh on more than one occasion. The man may be built like a fire truck, but he has all the gentleness of a teddy bear. I can't imagine how nice it must be to cuddle up against him." Laura said the last sentence in a sing-songy way and she nudged Natasha playfully.

"I don't kiss and tell," she responded as a deep scarlet flush appeared on her cheeks. As they entered the foyer of the building, the redhead opened her mouth to say something else, but the words failed to come out when she saw a familiar face with willowy blonde hair standing in front of the receptionist's desk. Speak of the devil.

It was Sharon Carter.

As if by some unlucky twist of fate, the woman Natasha had been loathe to ever see or meet again was standing in the same building which she worked. Frantically, she tried to remember if she had mentioned being a ballerina when she first met Sharon. Nothing came to mind and that put Natasha very ill at ease.

Had the woman deliberately found out where she worked?

 

 

Laura noticed how pale and quiet her friend had suddenly become and she shook her shoulder to snap her out of the fixed stare she had on Sharon. "Hey, Natasha. Natasha, are you alright?"

Then everything slowed down all at once. Sharon's back stiffened and she began turning until she saw Natasha and Laura standing several feet away. The blonde smiled and waved, then looked back down at the receptionist, chatting amicably with her as if they were old friends.

"Natasha...what's going on with you? Who is that woman?"

"That is Sharon Carter."

" _What?"_ There was shock written all over Laura's face as she looked at the other woman and back to Natasha. "How the hell does she know where you work?"

"She must have looked me up. I've been in New York long enough to have a listing in the phone book." The words came out of Natasha's mouth and were devoid of emotion, but a glance at her face told Laura that she was petrified to see Steve's ex at her work place.

Laura certainly couldn't blame her. If Clint had a controlling ex-girlfriend show up at **her** job, she would have been trying not to freak out, too. This Sharon may have sought Natasha out to start some kind of drama. Well, if that's what she was here for, she wouldn't get any satisfaction from her plans. Laura wasn't leaving her friend's side for anything.

Natasha licked her lips and looked at Laura with an anxious expression. The older woman simply reached down and squeezed her friend's hand to encourage her. "Don't worry, honey. If she's here to start shit with you, she's in for a rude awakening."

"Thanks, Laura." She swallowed as Sharon turned in her direction again and made her way over. Oh, how Natasha wished that Steve was already there.


	16. Anywhere but Here

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Sharon tries to approach Natasha as a friend, but the redhead doesn't trust her. Thankfully, their conversation is short._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter is a little longer than the usual ones because I wanted to establish some things in Nat's pov concerning Sharon.

* * *

   
Natasha pushed down the urge to latch on to Laura's arm. She didn't want to appear weak in front of Sharon and even though she may have been overreacting, that uncomfortable feeling she got when she first met the woman was still present. Like being trapped in a room with a snake, but you weren't sure where it was or when it would attack.

Bucky's own disapproval of the blonde did nothing to encourage Natasha to think well of her, so she was really in a bad spot, but at least she wasn't alone.

"Hi, Natasha! Fancy meeting you here! I was just purchasing tickets for Don Quixote. How've you been?"

The redhead crooked her lips slightly before responding with, "I'm fine..."

"Oh, that's good! I was wondering if I'd run into you again and I **don't** mean that in a creepy way. I mean, I know that you're probably uneasy around me because I dated Steve, but please, don't feel like that. I'm definitely not going to try and steal him away from you, so you've got no worries there."

 _You **couldn't** steal him even if you tried,_ Natasha thought defensively. She had no idea why the woman was at her place of work and she couldn't help feeling like maybe Sharon had found out where she worked in order to harass her.

"I'm glad to hear that. Sometimes when you meet your boyfriend's ex, you get the idea that she'll be a psychopath."

Laura decided to speak. "And sometimes, it's true. I know I've experienced that more than a few times. So you're Steve's ex girlfriend, Sharon?"

Sharon blinked and nodded slowly, looking as if she just noticed Laura standing there. "Yeah. And you are?"

"Laura Barton. Natasha and I are best friends." She held out her hand and Sharon shook it warmly.

"Oh, it's nice to meet you! Are you a ballerina?"

"No, that's not my area. I'm actually a trainer."

"Both of you?"

Natasha fought the urge to scowl at the blonde woman in front of her. Why was she fishing for information? Something about this made Natasha begin to feel gradually uncomfortable. She cleared her throat. "No. She's a trainer; I'm a ballerina, but not a prima. I'm in the chorus, right now."

Sharon folded her arms and nodded, looking completely interested in what Natasha was saying. "Wow. So do you have, like, an understudy thing here or...I don't know what you'd call it."

"An understudy is more of a term for people performing in plays or musicals. For the ballet, we use the term "protégée".

"Tsk! See? I figured it was that word, but I couldn't think of it. Ah, I love the ballet. I mean, don't get me wrong. I have two incredibly left feet, but I always dreamed about being a dancer. Unfortunately, some dreams don't always come true."

Laura cocked her head to the side and pursed her lips. No doubt she was trying to see if this Sharon woman was putting on a front. "So what do you do, then?"

"Well, believe it or not, I am a nurse."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I'm pretty good at it. A little **too** good, since it cost me a boyfriend." At this, Sharon chuckled and gave Natasha a look like they shared a secret.

It was not a secret, though, because Laura had already heard about how Sharon's work-focused mind set had cost her Steve. In the older woman's opinion, Steve was _much_ better off without her.

Natasha nodded. "Well, I think we've all probably been there at least once or twice. The good thing is now you can move on, find someone else and not make the same mistake again. That is, if you've learned your lesson."

Laura raised her eyebrow at the redhead beside her and quirked her lips ever so slightly. In saying those words, Natasha sounded like a mother giving stern advice to a wayward daughter. If the situation weren't so inappropriate for it, Laura would have laughed.

Instead, she watched Sharon's facial expression carefully and was surprised to see the woman's eyes glint with something malicious. Laura felt a chill run down her spine from that cold, angry look and she unconsciously moved closer to Natasha's side.

In a flash, though, that glare was gone and replaced by a smile and Sharon rubbed her arm somewhat nervously. "That's true. I have learned my lesson and I fully intend to move on. I already have, actually."

"I'm glad to hear it."

Fortunately, it was that moment when the door to the building opened and in stepped Steve.

Natasha's heart leapt in relief and she smiled at him as he approached. He only had eyes on her which was why when he glanced at the blonde woman talking to his girlfriend, he briefly paused his walking before continuing.

When he reached the girls, he immediately came over and kissed her forehead warmly. "Nat, I'm sorry for getting here a little late. There was a bit of drama at the apartments that I had to help fix."

"It's okay. Better late than never." She squeezed his hand and gave him a grateful smile.

"Right." Steve turned to look at Laura. "Hey, Laura."

"Hi, Steve."

He faced Sharon and smiled at her, too. Although the smile didn't reach his lips. Natasha saw that and she suspected that he was also uncomfortable seeing his ex around his girlfriend. "Sharon."

Sharon covered her heart with her hand and made a cooing sound. "Aw, you came to pick her up, Steve? That is so romantic."

"Thanks," Steve replied with a nod. "Are you ready to go?" He looked at Natasha and when she said, "Yes, please," he could see that she was, indeed, very anxious to get out of there. And he certainly couldn't blame her for that.

With that, he glanced at Sharon. "Nice seeing you again."

It was a lie, but it'd be impolite to say otherwise. Besides, Steve had a feeling that Natasha and Laura both knew how he really felt.

"You too."

Laura shouldered her bag and gave a wave. "I need to be off, myself. Clint said he wanted to cook dinner for us tonight, but if I know him, there'll be a huge mess waiting for me at home. See you guys later."

Steve and Natasha said their goodbyes to her and all three of them left the building at once, leaving Sharon behind.

The blonde's eyes glinted again as she watched them leave and her fingers clenched into fists at her sides, making painful half moon marks on the skin. Sharon was getting _tired_ of seeing those two together. A buzzing from the cell phone in her back pocket alerted her that someone was calling.

Once she saw the name on the screen, she smiled. Sharon pressed the answer button and said, "It's about time you got back to me, Brock. Listen, remember that girl I was telling you about earlier? Well, I'm gonna need you to do something for me..."

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dun-dun-duuuun!!! So now we have another person added to this story and he's nothing but bad news. I hope you guys are ready for some serious drama in the following chapters.


	17. Partners

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Brock Rumlow arrives and Sharon gets the final player in the game she has planned._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no excuses as to why my lazy arse is updating my fics so late - again. All I can do is say I'm sorry and as a way to beg for your forgiveness, I made this chapter longer than normal. This way, you can see what Sharon has up her sleeve regarding Steve and Natasha's relationship. Oh, just a warning. Now that Brock is in the picture, this story is going to be a bit darker and angsty, so prepare for more emotionally charged scenes.

* * *

 

Sharon smiled when Brock stepped out of the car. He still looked the same, save for a few changes. There was a breeze in the air that whipped her hair around as she made her way to her...friend? Ally? Partner would be the best word, she supposed, since he was going to work with her.

"Brock, it's good to see you. I thought I wouldn't be able to recognise you, but I can see I was wrong."

"Ditto, Shar. It's been a long time." Brock pulled her in for a hug and she let him, breathing in the smell of leather.

Once they pulled back, he gave her an appreciative look over. "Damn, you still look good."

"Thanks," she replied, a coquettish smile on her lips. A rush of pleasure ran through her as he gazed at her hungrily. "Let's get in the car and I'll explain everything to you in full detail." They made their way to the rental limousine that Sharon had bought and she told him everything she had planned.

Brock's gaze on her was pretty focused and she knew it was more than just rapt attention. Sharon wouldn't lie and say that she didn't feel a certain amount of excitement when she saw how strongly she affected Brock. He had always been interested in her, even though she friend zoned him countless times in the past. They were from different worlds, but Sharon had a bit of a wild side that appealed to him.

Sharon came from a rich background, but as all of the upper crust families tend to have black sheep, so was Sharon for the Carter family. She'd gone through an extremely rebellious phase during her teenage years and Brock was the one person who stuck with her through it all.

He was her first, although not her first _love_ \- a fact that he knew which still ate at him, even now. Sharon and Brock continued to have a friends with benefits relationship as time passed. Brock wasn't necessarily thrilled at being Sharon's boy toy, but if he couldn't have her heart, at least he could have her body.

Until today, they hadn't seen each other in eight years because his motorcycle club had gotten busted for dealing cocaine. Prison had made Brock a harder man than he already was and at first, Sharon had some qualms about bringing him on board with her plan. After all, he could have become severely unhinged during his time being locked up and he might be a danger.

Still, she'd been willing to risk it. For most people, absence most definitely did not make the heart grow fonder, but Sharon had written to Brock while he was in prison, telling him how being an heiress was boring as hell, so she went to nursing school - he had a good laugh at that. In one of Brock's letters, he wrote how keeping in contact with Sharon helped him stay sane. That got rid of any concern she had about his character. Well, _almost_.

Work was something that Sharon was unaccustomed to because she had always been given money by her parents to use whenever she wished. She was an heiress after all, but there was only so much you could do before you went out of your mind with boredom.

Besides, working actually agreed with her - much to her family's astonishment - and Sharon decided that she would be a nurse until she reached her fifties. When one had the luxury of living how they please and money is of no consequence, it's a recipe for easy living.

Sharon had a good time where she worked, writing Brock letters, helping people in the hospital and bumping heads with moronic doctors from time to time. She was content...and then she met Steve and had fallen head over heels. It was too bad that he hadn't felt the same. Their relationship had been great on her end, but for him, it was subpar.

They broke up - rather, _Steve_ broke up with Sharon - after six months of dating and it really messed her up. Sharon hadn't loved anyone until Steve and he just dumped her like garbage. It was a blow that sent her running from New York and holing up in her family's mansion in California.

She stopped writing Brock, quit nursing, stopped interacting with her family. They were all concerned about her, but she had been crushed by losing Steve. Life seemed was so dull without him. Then her Aunt Peggy got sick.

Peggy was the kind of person who hated to be in a home and she couldn't stand the snobbery of her family, so she preferred to keep herself disassociated from them. Sharon was the one exception because she was a black sheep as Peggy had been when she was younger. In fact, Peggy was the one who encouraged Sharon to do something good with her life besides just sitting around and spending money as her family did.

Sharon owed Peggy so much and after hearing about her aunt's battle with cancer, she quickly moved back to New York. After settling in at her aunt's place, Sharon had unfortunately met Natasha and was very displeased upon discovering that Steve was with someone else. She wished she had a way to break them up, but the next day, Sharon's cousin sent her the news that Brock was being released from prison in a couple of weeks. That's when the wheels started turning.

If Sharon could come up with a plan to use Brock to break Steve and Natasha up, she could be with her ex again. 

The ride to Peggy's wasn't a quiet one, as Sharon told Brock everything she came up with to get Steve back. "There's a building called Hammer Security that happens to be a few blocks away from where Natasha works. A lot of times during their big performances, the ballet company will hire a crew from them to keep an eye on all of the exits and the ballerinas themselves before the shows begin. Just as a precaution, you know?"

"And you've already set things up for me there?"

"Yeah, for once, it's a _good_ thing that my family has so much money and connections. The guy who owns the Hammer is an old friend of my dad's. He was more than willing to help out the daughter of his old friend and get her ex a job."

"So he thinks we were a couple?"

"Yeah, but don't worry. He won't say anything about seeing the two of us together or you being in prison because I gave him plenty of incentive."

"Incentive meaning...?"

"I threatened to tell the cops that he runs a side business of stealing and selling high end items on the black market."

Brock whistled. "Wow. You **really** did your homework on this guy."

"True." She gave Brock a grin which he returned. "But threats aren't always the best thing without adding a little money to the equation, so I gave him ten thousand dollars to keep his mouth shut."

"Damn. I don't think I've ever heard blackmail sound so sexy before."

"Ooo, what a nice compliment. Thank you." She pecked him on the cheek.

Brock groaned and pushed the button on the panel to his left, which rose the partition between the driver's area and the back seats. Afterwards, he turned to look at her, that hungry gleam in his eyes again. "You're gonna have to do better than that to thank me."

It wasn't a threat by any means.

Brock knew from her last letters that Sharon hadn't taken any other lovers. Hell, he didn't even know if she and this Steve guy had slept together. The thought made him angry, though, because Brock had always been possessive of Sharon and he hated seeing other men around her.

He was a damn fool for allowing himself to get mixed up in her crazy plan, but Brock knew that if Sharon couldn't have his help, she'd get someone else and he refused to let that happen. He wasn't going to allow anyone other than himself get this close to her.

If Brock could have Sharon for a little while, he'd take whatever she gave him.

"Mm. We still have another hour to go before we reach Aunt Peggy's house. I'm completely up for enjoying our reunion." Sharon tugged off her top and moved to sit on Brock's lap. "Let's have some fun," she whispered in his ear before pressing her lips to his.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, Brock and Sharon's "relationship" is eventually going to blow up in both of their faces. And when it does, it'll be intense.


	18. Friends Don't Let Friends Cop Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Sharon's surprise appearance at Natasha's workplace has caused tension, but Steve and Natasha focus on helping Bucky with his feelings for Wanda._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's another update to help wash away the cringe from the last one! Enjoy! :D

* * *

 

"She just came to your job?" Bucky stared at Natasha with a disbelieving facial expression. "Please tell me that you're joking."

"I wish I were, but it's true. Sharon came by my job, but it turns out that she was just pre-ordering ballet tickets."

"Bullshit! That bitch was stalking you!"

 _"Bucky."_ Steve frowned disapprovingly at his best friend. "I highly doubt that she was _stalking_ Nat."

"Oh, really? Come on, Steve. Even _you_ can't be that naive! How many horror movies do you have to watch before you recognize a psycho in real life?!"

Natasha laughed in spite of the serious conversation they were having. "Okay, seeing her at my job was definitely uncomfortable, but I'm not gonna claim that she's a stalker or file a restraining order against her."

"I dunno," Bucky retorted. "That sounds like a pretty good idea to me."

"Of course it would," Steve retorted with an eyeroll. He opened the oven and held up the lid to the casserole dish that contained lasagna that was cooking inside. "This should be finished in a few minutes."

Bucky glanced at his watch. "Okay. I told Wanda to come at seven, so she should be here soon."

"I hope she likes me," Natasha said with a nervous smile.

"Don't worry, Nat. She will. Steve and I told her nothing but good things about you."

"I'm glad to hear that. Ah, does she also know about Sharon?"

"Unfortunately, yes. Their paths have crossed pretty often. When she lived in New York, Sharon used to go to Wanda's store all the time."

"Did they get along?"

"For the most part, yeah. I mean, Wanda wasn't a big fan of Sharon either, but she can't hold prejudices towards a customer. Although, I did tell her that she could reserve the right to refuse Sharon as a customer whenever she felt like it."

Steve shook his head as he put the garlic bread in the oven.

Natasha caught that and looked back at Bucky. "You know, you never told me why **you** and Sharon never got along."

"It's a long, sordid story-"

"No, it isn't," Steve interjected.

"Fine. Not long or sordid, but it is ridiculous. You can't deny _that_." Bucky glanced at Steve and the other man sighed and nodded in agreement. "As I thought. Well, Natasha. Sharon hated me because she felt like I spent too much time with her Steve."

" _Her_ Steve?"

"Oh, yeah. She was an easily jealous, _insanely_ possessive person. Any time a woman talked to Steve - even if it were someone from the apartments talking to him about their oven or anything else that needed to be fixed, she'd get suspicious. It was equal parts funny and demented."

"Geez. That _does_ sound bad. She was jealous of you, too?"

"Extremely. There was a point when she truly believed that Steve and I were attracted to each other."

Steve laughed, obviously remembering the moment this happened.

"Well, were you?"

Bucky furrowed his brow at her. "No. I mean, Steve is definitely a good looking guy, but there's no way he could take the place of women for me. Now, maybe if he had a hot twin sister, I could see something happening-"

Steve interrupted. " _If_ I had a sister, I wouldn't let you near her."

"Steve. You wound me, my friend." Bucky grabbed at his chest and made a mock pained expression while Natasha laughed at his theatrics.

When she stopped laughing, she nudged the brunette and said, "I can't really blame him for that, Bucky. You are a bit of a playboy, even around Steve."

"What? Oh, great. Has Steve turned you against me, now?"

"Maybe if you'd stop going out with a bunch of different girls and just pick **one** , we'd think a little better of you." Natasha said jokingly and poked him in the ribs.

"Like Wanda, for instance," Steve chimed in.

"Wanda? Nah, she's a good friend, but I couldn't see myself dating her."

"I don't see why not, Buck. You've known each other for years, you've hung out together a lot and you're already close. Not to mention that she's sweet on you."

"Sweet on me? You're just saying that..."

"No way, I wouldn't lie to you about something like this. She likes you a lot, Bucky. Why do you think she's never gotten a boyfriend or gone out on dates with anyone?"

"Because she's picky?"

"Because she likes you."

Steve gave Bucky a pointed look. "If you were smart, you'd ask her out before she gets tired of waiting for you to stop being a dumbass and finds someone else."

Natasha watched the two men glare at each other with curiosity. From the way Bucky talked about Wanda, Natasha figured that she was someone very special to him. Steve obviously thought the same thing and probably had brought the fact up more than once.

She stood beside Steve. "Bucky? Have you thought that maybe you're just afraid of commitment?"

"What? I'm not afraid of anything."

"Then how come you're so careful to avoid any serious topic about Wanda? From what you and Steve have told me about her, she sounds like a great girl."

"She _is_ a great girl...she's amazing and too good for me."

Steve's face softened and he shook his head. "Don't think like that, Buck. _You_ may believe that you aren't good enough for Wanda, but why not ask her how _she_ feels about you instead of assuming you know everything?"

Bucky groaned and ran a hand through his hair. "I'm not so sure that Wanda would give me a chance like that, Steve."

Before the blond could reply, Natasha answered. "How about you stop with all of your playboy ways and then, you'll see how differently she treats you. Have you ever stopped to consider that the reason Wanda may be holding herself back is because she thinks you're not the kind of guy who has a steady heart?"

A look of surprise appeared on Bucky's face and he scratched his head. "So...you're saying that Wanda might think that I'm _shallow_?"

"Bingo."

"Damn...I never thought of that." There was no humor in Bucky's voice this time, and the grimace on his face showed that he felt pained to think that one of his closest friends didn't hold him in a high regard.

Steve was concerned by the dejected expression, so he went over and placed his hands on Bucky's shoulders. "Hey, pal. We're not saying that she hates you. Wanda is a great person and she isn't the type to hate people for being flirtatious. She loves you, man, and that will never change. All we're saying is that, when it comes to women, you can predictable and...well, frankly, it makes her angry to watch you around them."

"Now you're grasping at straws, Steve. How would you even know?" He snorted derisively. "Did she tell you that herself?"

"As a matter of fact, she did."

That got Bucky's attention. The disbelief left his face in a moment and he stared at Steve in shock. "She did?"

"Yeah. A couple of months ago, I found her drinking in a bar downtown. She was completely wasted, so I brought her home, but the entire time, she kept talking about you and how she hated the "cheap sluts" you always hung around. The whole ride back to her house, Wanda cried about how you've been blind to her feelings for years. Then she said that she loved you, but she expected you to keep being oblivious. I'd never seen her so upset before."

Natasha held her hand on her heart, touched by what Steve told them. She hadn't even met Wanda and she already felt such empathy for her. 

"Eventually, she stopped talking when I put her in the bed, but before I left, she asked me if she had a chance with you."

"And what did you say," Bucky responded in a whisper.

"I said that she definitely did if you would just get your head out of your ass."

The moment was still a bit tense, but Bucky couldn't help the laugh that came from his mouth after hearing that. "Nice one, Steve," Bucky said, giving him a look of mock offense.

"It's the truth, though. Natasha and I have talked to you about this, too, so now you can't claim ignorance anymore. Time to man up." And just as he said that, there was a knock on the door.

"That must be Wanda. Bucky, I think you ought to get the door. Since you're the one Wanda feels the strongest towards, it'll be good for her to see your face first."

"I guess you're right..." He nodded and meandered towards the door.

Natasha smiled and patted Steve's hips to move out of the way. "Lemme get the lasagna and the garlic bread out of the oven."

"Oh, right." He backed away so she could do what she intended. "You know, I think Bucky may have been such a big flirt for so long because subconsciously he thought that he'd never be able to be with Wanda."

"Really? Like the flirting was some kind of defense mechanism?" The redhead placed the dish of lasagna and the aluminum foil covered garlic bread on the stovetop before turning to look at her boyfriend curiously.

"I do. You'd be surprised at the different kind of things people use for defense mechanisms. Working with so many different people as the manager of these apartments has taught me a lot."

"So...you think you know people pretty well?"

"Yeah, I'd say so."

"Then how come you didn't know that **I** liked you?" There was a twinkle in Natasha's eyes and Steve gently nudged her side when he realised that she was teasing him.

"My head was in my ass, too, I guess." He grinned ruefully.

"Well, I'm glad you finally pulled it out. Headass syndrome is a pretty horrible condition. It didn't do too much damage, though." Natasha slid her palm over his behind and squeezed it. "Hm, so firm."

Steve's eyes darkened. "Nat, you really don't want to do that. I'd hate to frighten Bucky and Wanda away by ripping off your clothes and fucking you on this table right in front of them."

His words had the desired effect. Natasha gasped, the pulse in her neck began to throb rapidly and her eyes glazed over with arousal as she clenched her legs together. Steve wickedly slid his hand up Natasha's thigh and skimmed her panties. She moaned and twitched at his exploration. _Oh, yes._ She was already wet. Good.

He sent her a lust-filled smile and pressed himself against her so she could feel how she made **him** feel. Another tight moan came from her plump lips and she bucked against him, but he held her hips back with his hands. "No, sweetheart. We have guests now."

Her eyes shot open and she growled, "You're a tease."

"Maybe, but you like it." Steve heard voices coming their way, so he moved to Natasha's side and placed a hot wet kiss on her neck. That would give her something to look forward to after dinner...if she lasted that long.

 


	19. Landslide

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Steve and Natasha reach a new level in their relationship._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this update is way overdue, but I have an extra couple of Romanogers fics to post that I'm sure will more than make it up to you guys.

* * *

 

  
Natasha liked Wanda right after meeting her. The young woman was ambitious, but also kind, warm and able to bounce off Bucky's quips as quickly as he dished them out. Wanda definitely liked him and Natasha had been glad to see that Bucky appeared to see her through a new pair of eyes and responded accordingly. She wouldn't be surprised to hear if they'd end up going out on a date soon.

Dinner had gone by swimmingly with Natasha and Wanda making plans to spend some time together "Alone and away from these two goofballs," as Wanda had said about Steve and Bucky - it was very affectionate, of course. She even suggested that they all go to see Natasha in her next big ballet production since she was to be the second lead.

"Oh, are you sure? Please don't feel like you have to go because I'm in a relationship with Steve." Natasha worried her bottom lip as she and Wanda dried the dishes - Wanda had been adamant about helping Natasha and Steve clean the place up; they dried everything while the men washed and rinsed.

"Nonsense. I've always wanted to go to the ballet, but never had the money. Now, I can and have a good reason to go. Besides, you need friends to come and support you, yes?"

"Well...now that you mention it, it _would_ be nice to have some familiar faces in the crowd. Come to think of it, the head choreographer gives away five tickets every month in a raffle for the ballerinas. I actually won them this time, so you guys won't have to worry about paying for anything."

"That's great, but who would the other two tickets be for?"

Natasha tapped her chin and thought for a moment. "I have a couple of friends who could use them."

"Great! Do you think they'd mind sitting with us, though?"

"Sure. Clint and Laura are really easy going people. You'd like them."

Steve put the broom up and wiped his hands on his jeans. "Sounds good to me. From what Natasha has told me about them, I think we'd all get along great. Maybe we can even get something to eat after the performance."

"I second that." Bucky said with a grin.

Wanda rolled her eyes and poked his side. "Of course you do, Mister Pig." He swatted her backside playfully and she giggled. Then, she glanced at her watch and gasped. "It's eleven thirty-nine already? I should have been at home in bed by now. I guess I got a little side tracked, but I don't regret spending the evening with you. Even though my body may tell a different story tomorrow morning."

She and Bucky gave their goodbyes and took off, leaving Steve and Natasha alone together.

The redhead glanced around. "Well, the kitchen is all clean, so there's nothing to do but turn i-" She was interrupted mid sentence by Steve's lips crashing onto hers.

It was not a gentle kiss by any means and Natasha gasped from the intensity of it, her arms sliding around Steve's neck and squeezing hard.

"I thought they'd **never** leave," Steve said, laughing in between kisses.

"Oh, God. Me too. A few more minutes, and I would've pushed them both out the door." Natasha giggled and backed away to turn off the kitchen light. Then Steve picked her up, squeezing her ass for good measure and carried her into his bedroom.

Once there, Steve plopped Natasha on the bed and climbed on top of her, kissing her again until they both had to pull back to breathe. For a moment, he just gazed down at Natasha and brushed his hand against the apple of her cheek. "I've wanted you in my bed for so long, Nat, but...if you don't want this-"

She smiled and placed a finger in front of his lips to stop him from speaking. "Steve, the night my apartment burned down and you slept next to me, I had an erotic dream about the two of us. Before that, I fantasised about you all the time. So I can promise you that I do want this."

"You had a dream about us? Let's hope we can make this better than a fantasy." He kissed her again, this time, tugging off her button down shirt and tossing it on the floor.

Natasha shimmied out of her pants and Steve's eyes followed her every move, entranced by the motion of her hips. God, she was beautiful. He smoothed a hand along the skin of her hip and grazed her inner thigh, eliciting soft moans from her.

Steve worked on that area, making his lover shake and whimper underneath him. It gave him a sense of pride to know that he made her react like that. Still, he had to stop his ministrations after a while because of his own discomfort. The pants he wore were straining because of how hard and long he'd gotten. Not that she could keep her hands off him for very long. Natasha stroked him while he unbuttoned his shirt and she leaned forward to kiss him, making his pupils dilate.

"Damn, Natasha. You're driving me crazy." He drew back from her and began tearing the rest of his clothes off - and probably destroying them in the process, too. It didn't take long to divest himself of every single stitch of clothing on his body.

"Yes, _yes_. Free the tiger," she whispered as she removed her clothes. It spurred Steve on to move faster so he could finally be inside of her. They would have to take their time and make love later. Right now, what they both needed was a good fucking.

Once Natasha's clothes were gone, she took hold of his shaft and rubbed him up and down, making him groan and thrust against her hand in response. It only lasted for a few seconds, then she let go of him and touched his shoulders. The soft look in her eye told Steve that she was ready. So he adjusted his hips, angled over her entrance and lowered himself inside.

Steve was careful to push slowly, inch by inch, letting Natasha grow accustomed to his girth. She was a virgin, but she told him some time ago that she'd been in the habit of pleasuring herself when needed, usually with a vibrator and the image of Steve's face on her mind.

He planned to change that as soon as possible.

Natasha cried out and grabbed on to Steve's hair, tugging the blonde locks as she bucked against him, meeting his thrusts with exuberance. She thrashed her head side to side and panted, swearing forming on her brow as they continued their motions.

The only sound heard in the room was the sound of their hips smacking together. Natasha's breasts bounced with each thrust and Steve nipped at the pale globes, tugging on the hard peaks of her nipples.

By this time, Natasha was screaming a bunch of Russian swear words and that just pushed Steve into a stronger sexual haze. This woman was incredible. She hadn't even had sex before, but she was arching her hips and forcing him to go deeper like she knew what she was doing.

Maybe this was a sign that they really were meant for each other.

Sure, it seemed cliche and akin to wishful thinking, but Steve had never felt this before with any woman. Being with Natasha made him feel like a better man and he had this indescribable sense that he had found his home with her.

Time seemed to slow down and Steve's eyes locked on to Natasha's. Tears slid down her cheeks and she gazed at him as if she just realised the same thing. Wordlessly, she gripped her lover's backside and urged him on, raising herself up so he was hitting that special spot inside of her.

Natasha's lips formed an "o" as he continued to push into her. Then a wave of pleasure ran through her and prickles went down her spine. Her fingers dug into Steve's back, leaving half moon imprints on the skin and hearing Natasha cry out from the power of her climax pushed him over the edge, too.

The sweet sensation ran through their bodies for a few precious moments and neither bothered to move. They both just lay on the bed, tired and a little sleepy from the intense sex they just shared. Steve didn't want to move from where he lay, but he knew that it wasn't pleasant to sleep with stickiness between one's legs. So he went to the bathroom, got a washcloth, held it under the sink for a few second and went back to the sleepy woman in his bed carefully ran the damp fabric along Natasha's nether region.

She moaned and opened her eyes to a slit. "Thank you," she murmured.

Steve just smiled and put the washcloth on his nightstand. Once he was back in bed, he pressed a gentle kiss to Natasha's brow. "You're welcome, Nat," he replied and it wasn't too long before the sound of her steady heartbeat lulled him to sleep.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the longest time it's ever taken Steve and Nat to have sex in any of my multi chaptered fics. :3


	20. Crash Landing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Bucky finally moves forward with Wanda and asks her out. Meanwhile, Sharon gets the sense that something between Steve and Natasha has changed..._

* * *

 

Bucky sat next to Wanda to her house - she invited him inside for a nightcap, but since he wanted to know what she thought of Natasha, he accepted the invitation gladly.

"You were right, Bucky. Natasha really is a nice girl. I liked her right away."

"Yeah, she tends to have that effect on people. Her personality is disarming and she's so likable that you can't help but be drawn to her."

"And she seems so perfect for Steve. I've never seen him this happy before. It kind of makes me jealous."

"I know what you mean. I usually make fun of the whole soul mates concept, but if there were two people in the world who could make me change my mind about believing that, it would be them."

Wanda sighed and looked up at the ceiling of her house, brow furrowed in contemplation. "Mmhm. Seeing them so happy and in love makes me wonder why _my_ soul mate has been sitting on his hands all this time."

Bucky closed his eyes and swallowed. He knew that she wasn't calling _him_ out, but those words still hit him like a punch in the guts. She was right. He had been sitting on his hands for too long. "I want you to go out with me."

There was a brief silence, followed by a hushed "What?"

"You heard me, Wanda. I want to take you out on a date."

The brunette stared at Bucky like he had just grown another head. "Really? You mean it?"

" 'Course I mean it, doll. It's about time I took the initiative. You're an amazing woman and I've been a complete moron for holding back this long. Besides, a couple of good friends told me that you've been interested in me for a while." He touched the apple of her cheek and she smiled, leaning into the caress.

"Steve and Natasha," she replied. "Well, they're right about that. James Buchanan Barnes, you are really are a slow starter...but yes. I would love to go out with you." Wanda's smile was so infectious smile that he couldn't help but return it.

"Great. How does Friday work for you?"

"Friday is great." Wanda kissed him on the cheek.

Bucky winked at her and caught a glimpse of the time. "Oh, it's almost twelve. I'd better go. Gotta get an early start tomorrow- well, today." He chuckled and took a final sip of his drink before setting the mug on the table. "Thanks for the coffee, Wanda."

"Any time," she replied as they walked to the front door. When Bucky was outside of the house, he turned back to her and she gave him another kiss. This time, it was on the lips. It was a gentle kiss, one full of care and longing and Bucky sighed into it, overwhelmed by the emotions that swept over him.

When they both drew back, he took her hand in his and squeezed it. "I'll be counting the minutes."

"Me too," came her breathy reply. Even after Wanda closed the door and Bucky drove away in his car, the smiles never left either of their faces.

 

* * *

 

Something was wrong. Sharon could sense it while she watched Natasha's movements, the way she hung on Steve's shoulder as they walked on the sidewalk. Of course, they had been so intimate and disgustingly coupley around each other, but this was something else.

There seemed to be a bit of familiarity around the two of them, like their dynamic had shifted drastically in the past few days. Sharon wracked her brain for an explanation. Why would Steve and Natasha be even closer now than they already were?

Oh. _Oh._

If they had sex- no, not even that. If they _made love_ , it might explain everything. Why Natasha was more at ease with the shameless pda that she and Steve were engaging in.

Natasha gave Steve a very passionate kiss, waved goodbye to him and walked into a coffee shop. From where Sharon observed, there was another woman in the building waiting for Natasha. It was that choreographer, Laura. If the redhead was meeting a female friend, it was likely that she'd spill some important information about the development of her relationship with Steve.

Sharon scowled and put on her make up quickly and efficiently, then tugged the black wig on her head. Less than five minutes later, she had entered the coffee shop and managed to get a table that was within hearing distance of the one Natasha and Laura were seated at. Sharon's back was turned towards them, and she scrolled through her phone, pretending to be engrossed in it.

Behind her, the conversation was a bit hushed, but loud enough for her to hear.

"Here are the tickets." In the corner of her eye, Sharon noticed Natasha handing Sharon two pieces of paper.

"Thanks, Nat. I told Clint about coming to see your ballet performance and you know, he's actually excited about it. Well, partly because he'll finally get to meet your _paramour_. Those are _his_ words, by the way, not mine."

"Ha, he would say something like that. The funny thing is, until recently, I wouldn't say that paramour was the right word for Steve."

"Uh-huh. And now?"

Natasha took a slow sip of her coffee and tried her best not to smile, but she couldn't stop her lips from curling up anyway. "Now...our relationship has moved to another level."

"You had sex." Laura grinned and nudged her friend gently. "Right? That has to be it. I mean, why would you have this huge, cheesy smile on your face if you didn't?"

"You're correct."

"Yes!" Laura fist-pumped and immediately covered her mouth, giggling. "Sorry. I was just really rooting for the two of you. Steve is such a great guy and you're perfect together."

"Thank you, Laura. That means a lot. I feel so at ease around him and it's been a long time since I had that in my life. I am determined to keep him."

"Sounds like you've left out a "forever" in that sentence."

"Well, I still want to let myself enjoy where our relationship is now before getting _that_ serious, but to be honest, we had the makings of serious even before we started dating."

"That's for sure. Watching the two of you makes me think back to my honeymoon days with Clint. You and Steve naturally have that kind of together forever energy and I'm sure your relationship will only get better from here."

"Amen to that, sister!" The women clinked their cups together and took a few sips. Afterwards there was a brief silence. Then Laura whispered conspiratorially, "So how was it?"

" _Amazing_. I mean, at first, I was so ready for him that I didn't care if he'd be gentle or not, but it started off really heated and becoming more intimate..."

Sharon's hand shook and a lump grew in her throat. She nearly let out a cry of anguish, but forced herself to hold it in, biting her lip so hard that it bled. Hearing Natasha talk about her night with Steve was too painful and Sharon forced herself to tune out of the conversation behind her and drink the rest of her coffee autonomously.

When she finished, she left the coffeeshop, walked to her car and drove back home. Once Sharon got there, she poked her head in Peggy's room. The older woman was asleep, which was good for her because Sharon was numb all over and not in the mood to talk. She shuffled quietly through the house until she reached her bedroom, slamming the door shut.

For a moment, she glared at the papers on her wall. They were full of penciled words, some scratched, some highlighted, detailing the plan she had come up with to steal Steve back, but there was no need for any of it now. He had made love with Natasha. The joy in Natasha's face as she confided in her friend told Sharon that her plan was doomed if she dared to continue with it.

Perhaps it had been doomed from the very start.

The phone in Sharon's back pocket buzzed and she took it out to see who was on the other end. Brock. He'd just texted her and wanted to know when it was time for the final phase of her plan. Sharon scoffed and threw the cell across the room. She finally let out a piercing scream and leapt forward, tearing every page from the wall and ripping them into tiny pieces.

But she didn't stop there. She went to her closet and tossed all of her clothes out. When she made it to the bathroom, she did the same thing with all of her toiletries. In less than an hour, every drawer and every cabinet had its contents pulled out and strewn all over the place. Sharon had bruised her arm in the process, her hair was wild and tangled, she accidentally cut her shoulder, broke one of the heels she was wearing and spilled ink on her jeans.

By the time she finished, she was so tired that all she could do was slide to the ground and cry herself to sleep.

 


	21. Revenge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Brock takes matters into his own hands._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo, a couple of months back, I accidentally deleted all of my notes on my iPad, which also included every summary of my Romanogers fanfics. To be honest, I still haven't started on them rewriting yet because I really needed a bloody break and for a while, my inspiration died for my Romanogers fics. I know I've been gone for a long time and you guys are probably really salty with me, but I am back now and intend to finish both _Torched_ and _The Soldier Meets The Spy_ before the end of January.

* * *

 

Brock shook his head as he drove his truck through the rain. After seeing how bad Sharon's obsession with Steve Rogers had gotten, he figured that it would be better to get rid of the guy and his girlfriend.

He hadn't even been able to get anywhere with Natasha anyway. She was friendly, but she was hardly alone. One minute she'd be with that Laura chick or other girls from the company or she was with Steve. Brock had begun to doubt that he could even seduce Natasha to make it look like she was cheating on Steve. That's why Brock had sent Sharon a text an hour ago, asking her what the plan was because he wasn't sure her plan would work.

_She hadn't answered, which worried him because she always made sure to respond to his texts in ten minutes or less. He decided that he'd go by her aunt's house and see what was up. When he finally entered the house and reached, sight before him had been shocking._

_Sharon destroyed nearly everything in her room. Cupboard and drawers were pulled out, clothes strewn all over, the mattress flipped, papers torn and scattered. It looked like a whirlwind had swept through her bedroom._

_Brock stared wide eyed in shock at what Sharon had done. He knelt down to where she lie, curled up on part of her thick comforter, areas of her skin bruised and bleeding._

_"Sharon? Sharon? Wake up, baby. Are you okay?"_

_Slowly, the blonde began to awaken and she hissed in pain as she sat up. When she saw Brock staring down at her in alarm, she scoffed and shook her head._

_"What are you doing here?" She asked in a croaky voice._

_"You didn't answer my text and I was worried about you."_

_"Well, do me a favor and stop!" She pushed his hands away. "I'm fine."_

_"Are you serious? Sharon, your bedroom looks like a tornado went through it! Not to mention the fact that you're injured! Why did you do this?"_

_The blonde's lower lip trembled and she cackled, sounding like a creature in pain. "Because the plan is over. Finished. You can stop trying to befriend Natasha Romanoff. It was never going to work. She loves Steve and he loves her. We're not going to be able to convince him that she's cheating."_

_"Let me help you. You need someone to take care of you." Brock reached for her arm, but she tugged it away._

_"You don't get it. Steve was the one who was supposed to take care of me, but he found someone else. I can't compete with her. I never could."_

_"Well, forget them. If you can't be with Steve, so what? You and I can have a future together, Sharon. I'm here. I've **always** been here, waiting for you to see me the way I see you."_

_Sharon just got to her feet and walked to the bathroom, giggling until it turned into a twisted laugh. "Brock...I can't believe that you still don't get it. Steve was my endgame. Not you. God, the two of us? We would never work! You're fun to be around and I like the way you make me feel, but at the end of the day, there's only one man I want. And guess what? That is Steve, and I can't have him, so what makes you think I'm gonna settle for less than I deserve?"_

Her words had crushed him and he pulled away from her, pure rage in his eyes. Wordlessly, he left her bedroom and went back to his car, slamming the door shut behind him. Brock felt hollow and used. It really shouldn't have surprised him that she treated him that way. Sharon had a habit of using him for her own selfish desires, only to toss him aside when she was finished.

The only time he felt good with her was when they had sex and even then, he had doubts whether she'd been really into it. She even admitted it to him; she fucked him because he made her feel good, powerful too, he bet. Probably to get rid of her pent up anger or frustrations about Steve, but it was nothing more than that.

Sharon was always mercenary, always causing him pain, but he was done with it. She was miserable because her precious Steve was happy? Well, he would take away the one who was responsible for that happiness.

 

* * *

 

Natasha put on her raincoat and left the New York Ballet Company building in relief. She told Steve that she'd meet him at home later because she wanted to get a pint of Ben and Jerry's Phish Food ice cream from the store. After a long day practicing for her next ballet performance, she needed it.

She smiled at the thought of working it off by having another passionate night with Steve. They'd been making love a lot lately and besides giving her mind blowing orgasms, it helped burn a lot of Natasha's calories, so she was definitely receptive to doing it as many times as she were able.

The redhead hummed to herself as she walked down the sidewalk to the end of the block. She stood there with her arm out, waiting for a taxi to stop and pick her up. Unfortunately, she didn't hear the honking of car horns and screaming tires of a truck coming from the other direction, barrelling straight for her until it was too late.

 


	22. Tensions Running High

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Steve finds out what's happened to Natasha._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm such a terrible person for this very overdue update. Sorry, guys.

* * *

 

Steve looked at the time on the clock and frowned. Normally Natasha wasn't so late coming home. Maybe he should have picked her up instead of letting her take a taxi. New York was a big place, though, so it was possible that she got caught in bad traffic. He didn't want to call her and seem like an overprotective boyfriend, but she said she'd be home at six thirty and it was now seven fifty-three.

"I'm just gonna call her to find out if she's okay. If she is and gets annoyed with me, at least I'll know that she's safe." Steve took his cell phone in hand, dialed Natasha's number and waited for her to pick up.

It went to her voice mail.

He swallowed and rubbed his head. They hadn't had a fight and Natasha gave him a sweet, drawn out kiss before she left for work. So there was no reason for there to be a discord between them.

A strange sense of unease hung over Steve and he couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. He wasn't the kind of man who panicked, but he decided that he'd call Natasha one more time and if her phone went to voice mail again, he would go to the Ballet Company building and find out where she was.

Steve redialled and after eight rings, Natasha's phone went to voice mail again. So, he pocketed his phone and grabbed his keys from the countertop. That's when his phone rang.

Hope rushed through him and he answered immediately without looking at the number on the screen.

"Nat? Where've you been?"

"Steve?"

The blond's face began to fall. He knew that voice and it wasn't Natasha.

"Sharon? How did you get my number and why are you calling me?"

There was a sobbing gasp on the other side of the phone, but why would Sharon be crying?

"Oh, my God. Steve, have you looked at the news?"

Impatience filled his tone as he replied, "No, I was busy. Why are you calling me about the news?"

"Because I think Natasha was hit by a car."

Steve's mind went blank. All at once, he could see his girlfriend in the street, walking, when a car comes out of nowhere and barrels into her. If she were in the hospital, it would make sense that he hadn't been notified. There was nothing in her wallet that would tell the hospital staff who to contact if she were hurt and she always kept her phone locked. 

But what if she died and he didn't even know it? The thought of Natasha dying alone in a hospital with no one beside her made Steve feel sick. **No** , he couldn't lose her. She was the woman he'd always wished for, his true love. If she died, he had no idea how he would live without her.

For the first time in years, he felt like he needed an inhaler. His breathing was erratic and his hands began to shake. Then it registered that was Sharon yelling at him on the phone. Words like "Brock", "plan" and "jealous" reached his ears, snapping him back to reality.

"What? What did you say?"

Sharon was still crying, but now he could hear every word clearly. "Brock is my old friend who got out of prison a few months ago. I managed to get him a job at the security firm that's nearby the New York Ballet Company building. I wanted him to help me break you and Natasha up, but I realised that it wasn't going to work, so I told him to forget it."

"He's always had feelings for me, but I told him that you were the only one I wanted and he left in a fury. I tried calling him a while ago, but he wouldn't answer his phone. Then I turned on the news and saw a story about a young redheaded woman who was hit by a black truck and carried off by the driver. He drove away too quickly, so no one was able to stop him, but I-I'm pretty sure it was Brock and the woman who was injured is Natasha."

A low cry of agony left Steve's mouth and he closed his eyes for a moment. That shadowy security man who he'd seen watching Natasha far too intently at times. He was involved with this plan of Sharon's? And was recently in prison? Tears slipped down Steve's face and he gritted his teeth in anger.

"Was this your plan from the beginning? To get your friend to kill Natasha and get her out of the picture in the hopes that I'd come crawling back to you?!  _Answer me_!"

"No! God, **no**! I swear, I only wanted Brock to make you think Natasha was cheating on you, that's all! I never dreamed that he'd do something like this!" She started crying again and Steve bit the inside of his cheek to keep from saying something ugly.

He wanted to hate Sharon for what she did, what she helped cause. Her jealousy over his relationship had brought about horrible consequences and now, he had no idea where Natasha was.

"Do you know any places Brock frequents, somewhere he goes to be alone?"

"I think so. There's one place he would go."

"Alright. Tell me where it is."

Sharon did so immediately, terrified for Natasha's safety. After she told him, she asked, "Are you going to call the cops?"

"No, you call the cops. I'm going to get the woman I love." Then Steve hung up.

 


	23. Is There Hope?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Natasha realizes Sharon's true motives and the danger escalates._

* * *

 

Natasha felt her eyes open slowly, but her head was in throbbing in pain, like she'd been hit very hard. As her eyes adjusted to the light, she realised that she was somewhere in a dock shed, but why in the world had she been brought here?

She tried to move, but her actions were limited by a heavy rope that was tied around her wrists and feet. Her body had also been tied to a chair. Natasha wiggled to see if the chair would move. It didn't. The only thing she could do was lift her head.

The light was strong enough for her to see the bottom of the chair legs and she realised that it was nailed to the floor. Pain shot through her limbs when she tried rotating her leg and she bit her lip to keep from screaming. If only she'd agreed to let Steve pick her up like he suggested, she probably wouldn't be here.

Practice at the NYC ballet had taken a bit longer than Natasha thought it would and she was so tired by the time she finished that she just tugged on her leotard and put on her jacket. She had very little energy left and decided to change when she got home.

In the middle of hailing a taxi and walking towards the nearest one that stopped for her, there had been a loud screeching sound that was frighteningly close and before Natasha could even scream, she felt an impact so hard that it knocked her unconscious before she hit the ground. Someone had run into her with a car.

Dear God, what happened after that? Dread began to rise in the pit of her stomach. Could she have been kidnapped? 

"You're awake," said a voice in the darkness.

Natasha gasped and immediately began looking for the source of the voice. Her senses were high on alert which was unfortunately useless since she was tied to a chair.  
  
"Who are you? Please, let me go. I'm hurt."

"I know you're hurt, Natasha. I was the one who hit you."

More lights came on in the room and Natasha was momentarily blinded by the intense brightness. Once her eyes adjusted, she blinked a few times, only to stare in shock when Brock Rumlow's face hovered above hers.

"Brock? What are you doing? Have you lost your mind?!" Tears ran down the redhead's cheeks as she struggled to understand why he would have done such a terrible thing to her. Her legs were in so much pain and she just wanted Steve's arms around her with his warmth keeping her safe.

"Yeah, you could say that. Lost my mind over a girl who never even cared about me. I put my heart out in the line for her and looked after her most of her life, but she still wants another man. I'm not good enough. I'm **never** good enough!" He threw something and there was a loud crash somewhere to Natasha's left.

She took a few shaky breaths before speaking, channeling as much calm as she could. "Brock, listen...I don't know who has hurt you or why, but I _swear_ , I don't have anything to do with it."

"That's where you're wrong, you have everything to do with it. You're the reason this whole damn thing escalated!"

Natasha was doing her best to stay strong, but she was so frightened and Brock's ramblings made her nervous. "I-I don't understand."

"You know, you're lucky. You actually had happiness with Steve for a while. You never had to do him any favors or beg or cheat to get him to love you. He gave his fucking heart to you freely. I've never known what that feeling is like and I know that I never will." Brock choked back a sob. "And somehow, that doesn't even make me angry. Just sad."

After hearing her boyfriend's name from Brock's lips, Natasha felt her heart sink. "What does Steve have to do with your kidnapping me?"

Brock shook his head as if he was disappointed that she hadn't caught on by now. "He's with _you_ , don't you get it? Sharon Carter, you know, his old girlfriend? She wanted you out of the picture."

"Sharon...you two are working together?"

"Bingo. That's why she's in New York. Her Aunt Peggy just happened to get sick at the perfect time, so she had a believable reason to be here. Sharon wanted to get back with Steve and I was going to help her. Everything was planned perfectly, but it all fell apart."

Natasha could have sworn that she also heard Brock whisper _and_   _we fell apart_ , but his voice was too faint to be sure. She was going through so many emotions right now and it was all she could do to keep her wits about her.

"You said the plan didn't work, so why did you kidnap me?"

Brock chuckled mirthlessly and walked away. "You could say that I'm making some revisions to the plan." Then, as he came back into the light, Natasha heard a sound that made her blood run cold.

It was the cocking of a gun.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, a cliffhanger!


	24. Crisis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Things come to a head at the docks._

* * *

When Steve located the shed, he took off running as fast as he could. Adrenaline pumped in his veins as he ran and each step brought him closer to the door. In seconds, he barreled through it like a mad bull, splintering the wood.

Pain laced up his arm, but seeing Natasha in a chair several feet ahead of him made him forget it. He came forward and got down to his knees, taking in her injuries. Her hair was matted, her leotard and tutu were tattered and ripped, her face was streaked with tears and he could see a bruise on her side. There was a nasty gash on her leg, but thankfully, she was still breathing.

"Natasha!" Steve touched her cheek gently and she responded to the caress.

"Steve?" The redhead slowly opened her eyes, her face twisted in pain.

"Hold on. Just hold on. I'm gonna get you out of here." He took the switchblade out of his back pocket and began cutting away at the cords of rope that kept her body bound to the chair.

"H-how did you find me?"

"Sharon called me," he replied with a grimace.

Natasha furrowed her brow and a scowl adorned her features. "What?"

"She saw you on the news. Someone reported that a redhead had been hit by a car and kidnapped. Sharon told me everything about her plan and Brock's involvement. She actually felt sorry for what she did, if you can believe that."

What could Natasha say to that? A lot of things, but she was so numb and sore all over and she just wanted to get out of this awful place. She glanced down and saw that Steve had gotten to the last cord. Suddenly, there was a shadow coming towards his back. "Steve, behind you!"

He turned a fraction of a second too late and Brock's pistol hand came crashing down against Steve's head. A cry left from his mouth as he fell to the ground.

"You should have stayed at home, hero," he said menacingly. His booted foot gave Steve a hard kick in the ribs. "What did you think you were going to do? Save her?"

"Stop it! Leave him alone, you **bastard**!" Natasha struggled against her bonds and she could feel the rope beginning to give. She just needed a few more moments and she'd be free.

Brock chuckled and stepped over Steve's body, getting in her face. "Oh, don't worry. You'll have your turn. In fact, now that lover boy is here, the fun has just started! I think I'll tie you both up, facing each other and dump you in the water. It's the least I can do for true love." The last two words he said mockingly.

"Don't even think about it, Brock," said another voice.

Natasha blinked in surprise as someone stepped forward into the light. It was Sharon.

Steve groaned again and Natasha realised that he was starting to wake up. Maybe this was just the distraction they needed. Brock had turned to stare at the other woman, so Natasha tugged at her bonds once more.

"What the fuck are you doing here? Come to save your Steve?"

"He's not my Steve, Brock. You know that as well as I do."

"That right. He's _Natasha's_ Steve and I'm going to kill them both." Brock moved to turn back, but Sharon grabbed his arm. He jerked away form her and his eyes glinted dangerously. "Back off, Sharon or I will kill you, too."

Sharon saw in the corner of her eye that Steve was coming to and Natasha's rope was breaking. She knew she had to keep Brock from looking at them or he would see. "Yeah. I guess I deserve that."

"You guess? You guess?!" In a fit of fury, Brock took hold of Sharon's shirt and slammed her against the wall. "You fucked up my life, you bitch. I was always there for you, ever since we were kids, but you kept choosing Steve over me."

The blonde was terrified, but her anger was just as big as Brock's. She dug her fingernails into his shoulders. "Of course I chose him! I love him! But he chose Natasha over _me_! So I know exactly how you feel! If you wanted revenge on me, that should be enough!"

Brock shook his head. "No. You want to reason with me, talk to me and calm me down, but that isn't going to work. Your love for Steve is what drove us to this point and now, I'm going to finish it."

"Everything can't be solved with violence, Brock."

"Oh, I know, but his will." He finally turned and his eyes widened in rage when he saw that Steve was no longer on the ground, but holding Natasha up in his arms.

"No!" Brock made a move to rush forward, but Sharon pulled out her gun, cocked it, and aimed it at his chest.

"If you take another step, I will shoot you."

He looked at her and laughed. "You don't have the guts."

Sharon was steely eyed as she stared right back at him. "I don't have anything to lose."

Brock stared for a moment and nodded his head, seeming to accept her sincerity, but then he slashed a knife on Sharon's wrist, causing her to yelp in pain and drop the gun.

At this point Steve had come to in the nick of time and he rushed over to wrestle the knife out of Brock's hand. The two men exchanged heavy blows and all Natasha could do was watch them helplessly. Sharon winced from the fresh cut on her skin, but she managed to grab the gun. Now she _did_ fire without hesitation and seconds later, Brock fell to the ground.

 


	25. Safe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Natasha wakes up at the hospital._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I have no idea how stalking is handled in this particular case because Sharon followed Steve and Nat a lot without them knowing it and they had no proof that she was until she admitted it to the police. I hate to be "that" author, but I did little to no research on the subject because the stuff online I found was too confusing ~~and my attention span was at an all time low and I really dgaf anymore and this fic should have been freaking finished last year - whoops, run on sentence!~~ Basically, I'm doing a rush job on this. Sorry.

* * *

Natasha opened her eyes to the very welcome sight of Steve sitting in a chair by her bedside. She lie there for a moment, just gazing at him with a tired smile on her face. From the smells and the brief glance around, Natasha knew that she was in a hospital room.

She yawned and groaned, stretching her arms outward. God, she felt so numb, like she had slept for a hundred years. There was a clock on the wall that said one forty-six pm, so she knew it was afternoon. A day or two had likely passed since Brock kidnapped her. The last thing Natasha remembered was screaming when the gun in Sharon's hand went off. She needed Steve to fill in the blanks for her, so she reached out to shake his shoulder.

"Steve?" 

It didn't take long for him to come round. "Nat? Oh, God. You're finally up." He looked at her, concern filling his gaze as he hugged her.

The redhead clung to her boyfriend tightly and buried her face in his shirt, enjoying the feel of his arms around her. They stayed like that for a long time, emotions still running high from the events that precipitated their current situation.

Eventually, Natasha let go of Steve's shirt, but kept her hand entwined with his. She wanted them to be connected in whatever way was possible. "Steve, what happened?"

"You passed out when Sharon shot Brock and the cops came less than a minute after that. The bullet hit Brock on the side of his forehead, so it didn't kill him. He was patched up, but he's going to prison again, but this time, for attempted murder. The fact that he's already a convicted felon doesn't help things. He won't be coming out for a long time."

Natasha couldn't find it in her heart to feel sorry for Brock after the hell he caused in her life. The man got what he deserved and he was lucky that she didn't hate him for what he did. "And what about Sharon?"

"Sharon's not going to prison since she didn't do anything excessively criminal. However, she did admit to stalking us both, her obsession with me and her plan to break us up. She had to pay a fee, but I got a restraining order against her. She can't come within five hundred feet of either of us. If she breaks it..."

"Something tells me that won't be an issue." Natasha closed her eyes and sighed. Who knew that her life would get so complicated and crazy in just a few months? She felt like she'd been through a marathon. Oh. She looked at her legs, then back to her boyfriend. "Did the doctor say whether I'd walk again?"

Steve took hold of her hand and touched her cheek with his other one. There was a smile on his face that gave her hope. "You will. The reason you can't feel anything right now is because they've got you on a morphine drip. Your left ankle is bruised, your thigh has a pretty bad gash that they stitched up and there's some swelling on your hip. From what they told me, you'll have to be careful putting on your clothes, but other than that, once your injuries heal up, you should be able to dance again."

It took her a moment to let his words sink in. "I don't understand. How did I not break any bones?"

"Chalk it up to a miracle. By all accounts, you should have died on impact. Brock was going one hundred and ten miles per hour when he hit you."

Natasha's eyes widened and she covered her mouth with her hand. "Oh, my God. And...I lived through _that_?"

"You did and I'm glad because I wouldn't have wanted to go on without you by my side. It wouldn't be worth living." Steve brushed his nose to Natasha's and kissed her forehead.

She laughed and a few tears spilled down her cheeks. "You always were too mushy for your own good."

"But you love it."

"I do." Natasha cupped Steve's cheeks in both of her hands and kissed him passionately. She suckled on his upper lip for a few heady moments before pulling away.

"You think the doctors would approve of you having sex with a drugged woman in her hospital bed?" She whispered conspiratorially, a wicked smile on her face.

Steve raised his brows and from the darkened gaze in his eyes, he seemed to be intrigued by the idea. "Probably not, like _that_ would stop me at all, but your legs aren't in the best shape right now." He gently touched her thigh. "It'll be a few weeks before you can do any strenuous activity. You can't wear yourself out."

Well, that sucked. Natasha huffed and leaned back against her pillow. Her hand was still entwined with Steve's. "Boo. I guess I can wait, but I bet we can still do _some_ things if we're careful."

He smirked. "I love the way you think."

 


	26. Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _A lot of things have changed a year after Natasha moved in to Steve's apartment._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, this is it. The final chapter. Is anyone else kind of sad that _Torched_ is completed? I know I am.

* * *

Natasha sighed and absently rubbed her protruding belly as she lie on the couch. She had insisted on cooking tonight, but Steve wouldn't hear of it. He told his wife to just relax and he'd take care of everything.

No man had ever been so attentive to her before - although, she _was_ married to Steve **and** carrying his child, so those were two big reasons for his consistent affections. Of course, back when they were only dating, he still took good care of her.

Memories came back to Natasha of that fateful night when she'd been kidnapped by Brock Rumlow. Steve had come to her rescue even though he had no idea if she were dead or alive. Now, she acknowledged that, it weren't for Sharon, she'd probably be dead, but since Sharon was the cause of Natasha's kidnapping, Natasha wasn't very grateful.

Though she was very sorry for her aunt's death. Peggy Carter died a few weeks after everything happened. When Steve had dated Sharon, he got to know Peggy and held a lot of respect for her, so he was saddened when he found out that she'd passed away.

Beyond that, Sharon was never spoken of again and it was better that way. She was a painful part of Steve and Natasha's past and they chose to leave it behind them.

Life continued and they were happy together. In time, Natasha's leg healed up and she started dancing in the ballet again - well, until she found out that she was pregnant. And what a pleasant surprise it had been for Steve to learn that his beloved girlfriend was now carrying his child.

Natasha was also surprised when Steve countered her wonderful news with his own: he proposed to her. She said yes most emphatically and they cried and hugged and kissed. It was one of the happiest moments in both of their lives.

Steve proposed to Natasha. Natasha was having his baby and now, they were married and happy. The future just looked better and better.

"Honey? are you awake?"

Natasha opened her eyes to find Steve looking down at her, his hand touching her shoulder.

"Well, I _almost_ fell asleep." She blinked a few times before sitting up. "Is dinner ready because I am famished and so is James."

"Yeah. It's done." Steve took his wife's hand and helped her up to stand, but when they were face to face, neither moved forward. They just stood, smiling at each other. "Have I told you lately that I love you?"

"You tell me every day, you goofball." Natasha playfully nudged him with her hip.

"Okay. That's true." Steve nodded and bent down to Natasha's stomach, his hands caressing the bump on her belly. "But how about you, kiddo? Have I told you how much I love you?"

James kicked and both of his parents laughed.

Steve smirked. "I guess that means yes."

"I guess so." Natasha tugged his hand and he stood up straight. She touched the apple of his cheek and her gaze softened as tears slid down her face. "Steve, thank you for loving me and making me a wife and a mother. It means so much to me.... _you_ mean so much to me. I love you."

"And I love you, Natasha."

As Steve and Natasha's lips connected in a soft but passionate kiss, they drew closer together. Their hands began to explore and tease the flesh that lie beneath their clothing. After they made their way to the bedroom, and all their clothes were strewn on the floor, it was evident that dinner had been forgotten, but that was alright. They could always reheat it later.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for sticking with this story even when I was really slow with the updates. Whether you reviewed every chapter or not, I appreciate each and every one of you!❤️


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